Olive wax cap or Herald of winter

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.

Cap 3-7 cm, at first hemispherical with an inrolled margin, then convex-flattened with a broad umbo. Color olive-brown or yellowish-olive in the center, paler and yellowish toward the margin. Surface very slimy, especially in wet weather, glossy.

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.

Gills. The gills are widely spaced, thick, waxy, decurrent on the stem. Color yellow or yellowish-golden — this is the key feature. Spore print white.

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.

Stem 4-9 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical, often curved. Yellowish to yellow-orange, paler in the upper part. Surface slimy, especially in young mushrooms. No ring.

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.

Flesh pale yellow, firm in young mushrooms, softer with age. Doesn't change color when cut. Handles frying and stewing well.

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.

Faint pleasant mushroomy smell, without sharp notes. Mild, pleasant taste.