Larch woodwax or Larch bolete

Cap 2-5 cm, hemispherical at first, then flattened-convex with a small umbo. Color: bright lemon yellow, sometimes slightly orange at the center. The surface is slimy in wet weather — a thick layer of slime. In dry weather it dries out, turning glossy and waxy yellow.

Cap 4–10 cm (sometimes up to 15), hemispherical in young mushrooms, then cushion-shaped, almost flat in old ones. Color bright yellow, lemon-yellow, golden-orange, less often rusty brown. The surface is very sticky and shiny — in wet weather it looks literally lacquered. The skin peels off easily and often stretches into strips.

Gilled hymenophore. The gills are widely spaced, thick, and decurrent (a typical feature of the genus). White or cream at first, turning yellowish with age. Spore print white.

Tubes adnate to the stem at first, then notched. Yellowish when young, later grayish- or olive-yellow. Pores small and angular. When pressed they turn pinkish, then brown — a characteristic reaction. In young mushrooms they are covered by a yellowish membranous veil.

Stem 4-6 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical. Whitish or pale lemon yellow, with yellow scales or granules. Paler at the top, a more intense yellow toward the base. The surface is moist or slimy. No ring.

Stem 4–12 cm tall, 1–3 cm thick, cylindrical or slightly widening toward the base. Yellow above, brownish below the ring, with small rusty dots. The ring is white or yellowish, membranous, and breaks down quickly — in mature mushrooms it’s often gone or only a narrow band remains.

The flesh is white, under the yellow skin — intensely yellow. Thin and tender. Hardly changes color when cut. Firm texture, not watery.

Flesh yellow, soft, watery in mature mushrooms. When cut it turns slightly pinkish in the cap, and sometimes a bit greenish in the stem. The texture is slimy-fibrous.

Smell faint, barely mushroomy, with no sharp notes. Taste mild, pleasantly mushroomy, not bitter.

Smell faint, mushroomy, with a barely noticeable resinous note. Taste mild, not bitter.