Hygrophorus leucophaeus or Almond woodwax

The cap of Hygrophorus leucophaeus is small — 2 to 6 centimeters across. When young it is convex with an inrolled margin; with age it flattens out, usually keeping a small bump in the center. The surface is smooth, slimy and sticky in wet weather. The coloring is delicate — whitish, cream or pale ochre at the edge and reddish-orange, warm ochre in the center. A slimy cap in two tones is a telltale feature of the species.

Cap 3–10 cm, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then flattening out to flat-convex, often with a small central depression in old ones. Dull gray to ash gray, with a slightly darker center. The surface is sticky in wet weather and dry in dry weather. The skin peels off easily in moist specimens.

The spore-bearing surface is made of gills. The gills are thick, widely spaced and waxy to the touch, attached to the stem or running slightly down it (decurrent). They are white or cream. The spore print is white. Thick, waxy, decurrent white gills are a classic trait of the woodwax genus.

The gills are attached to the stem, later attached and running down it. White when young, turning gray with age. Not crowded, with a fine waxy texture (a typical feature of the genus Hygrophorus). Spore print white.

The stem is cylindrical, fairly slender, 3 to 7 centimeters tall, white or cream, dry and mealy near the top and sometimes slightly sticky lower down. There is no ring and no volva. The surface is smooth or finely fibrous. The stem flows smoothly into the cap, with no sharp boundary.

Stem 4–15 cm tall, 0.6–2 cm thick, cylindrical. Whitish, pale gray with age, in mature ones with a faint scaly grayish pattern near the top. No ring and no volva. Dry, without a slimy coating.

The flesh is white, thin and waxy, and does not change color when cut. The taste is mild and not bitter, but rather bland overall. Because of the thin flesh and slimy cap skin, the mushroom is only moderately valued at the table: choose young, firm specimens and peel off the sticky skin.

The flesh is soft, whitish or watery gray. It does NOT change color when cut. The texture is moist and tender — typical of waxcaps.

The smell is faint, pleasant or almost imperceptible, with no sharp notes. Scent isn't a defining feature, so for identification rely on the slimy whitish-tan cap, thick waxy white gills and growth next to beech or hornbeam.

The most distinctive feature of the species is its strong, pleasant aroma, reminiscent of bitter almond, cherry pits and sweet dough. Sometimes faint in very young or very old mushrooms. The taste is mild and neutral.