Hygrophorus leucophaeus or Olive wax cap

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.

The cap of the olive wax cap reaches 3 to 8, occasionally up to 12 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical or convex with an inrolled margin; with age it flattens out, usually with a small bump (umbo) in the center. The surface is very slimy and sticky, especially in wet weather. The color is olive-brown, gray-olive or dark brown, with darker radial fibrous streaks spreading from the center; the margin is paler. The slimy, streaked olive cap is a recognizable feature of the species.

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 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 pure white, sometimes with a faint grayish tint near the base. The spore print is white. Thick, waxy, decurrent white gills are a typical hallmark of the Hygrophorus genus.

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.

The stem is cylindrical, 4 to 12 centimeters tall and white. Its defining feature is its slimy coating: above a ring-like zone the stem is white and dry, while below it is covered with a sticky layer with dark gray-olive bands and scales arranged in tiers, like snakeskin. This pattern makes the species easy to recognize. There is no volva, and no true ring either — only a slimy ring zone remains.

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 white and firm, waxy in the cap, and does not change color when cut. The taste is mild, without bitterness, but generally bland. Because of the slimy cap skin and mediocre taste, the mushroom is only moderately valued for the table; people choose young, firm specimens and peel the sticky skin off the cap.

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 smell is faint, pleasant or nearly indistinct, with no sharp notes. Aroma is not a defining feature, so for identification rely on the slimy, streaked olive cap, the white waxy gills, the banded slimy stem and its growth next to spruce.