Goatcheese webcap or Cortinarius multiformis

The cap is 4-9 cm across, hemispherical to conical-convex in young mushrooms, becoming convex-flat with a noticeable low umbo over time. The color is grayish-lilac, lilac-brown, with a violet tint when young, fading to grayish-ochre with age. The surface is smooth, slightly slimy in wet weather. The cap margin is thin, with fine radial fibers.

The cap is 5-10 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled margin in young mushrooms, becoming convex to flat with a low umbo over time. The color is orange-yellow, honey-ochre, reddish-yellow, darker when young, fading to pale ochre with age. The surface is smooth, slightly slimy in wet weather. Older mushrooms often show fine radial cracks.

The hymenophore is gilled — the gills are attached to the stem and moderately crowded. In young mushrooms they are lilac, mauve-gray, later turning rusty brown as the spores ripen. The spore print is rusty brown — a diagnostic feature of the genus Cortinarius. In young mushrooms the gills are covered by a cobwebby partial veil (the cortina) — a characteristic feature of the genus.

The hymenophore is gilled — the gills are attached to the stem and moderately crowded. In young mushrooms they are pale cream to pale ochre, later turning rusty brown as the spores ripen. The spore print is rusty brown. In young mushrooms the gills are covered by a cobwebby partial veil (the cortina).

The stem is 5-10 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical, with a bulbous swelling at the base. The color is lilac to violet in the upper part, paler to whitish lower down. The surface has fine lilac fibers. On the stem, remnants of the cobwebby cortina — noticeable in young mushrooms, disappearing in older ones and leaving a thin band of rusty-brown spores on the stem.

The stem is 5-9 cm tall, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical, with a pronounced bulbous base (like an onion bulb). The color is whitish to pale ochre. On the stem you'll see remnants of the cobwebby cortina dusted with rusty-brown spores.

The flesh is firm, white to pale lilac. When cut it does not change color. The smell is strong and sickly, camphor-like, with a note of raw potato or rancid cheese — its most characteristic diagnostic feature. The taste is mild, but given the smell it's not worth trying.

The flesh is firm, white to pale cream. When cut it does not change color or turns slightly yellow. The smell is faint and neutral.

Strong sickly camphor-and-potato smell, with a note of rancid cheese or a damp cellar. You can catch it from a distance. It opens up when you rub the flesh. This is the most reliable diagnostic feature of the species — few other webcaps have such a pungent smell.

Faint, neutral, mushroomy, with no distinctive notes.