Common cavalier or Russet toughshank

Cap 2-6 cm, hemispherical at first, then convex-spreading to flat. The color varies — from russet-yellow to yellow-brown, darker in the center and paler toward the edge. In dry weather the cap fades to cream. The surface is smooth and slightly shiny in wet weather.

Cap 4-8 cm across, hemispherical with a noticeable bump in the center when young, becoming convex-flat with time while keeping the same bump. The color is dark brown, blackish-brown, almost black in wet weather, lighter and grayish when dry. In old mushrooms the cap edge is often wavy and cracked. The surface is smooth, slightly silky, a little slimy in wet weather.

Gilled hymenophore. Gills crowded, thin, attached or notched. Whitish to cream. Spore print white.

Gills — they're broad, moderately crowded, whitish, turning grayish-white with age. Attached to the stem with a notch (a small tooth). Spore print white. The contrast between the dark cap and pale gills is a diagnostic feature.

Stem 3-8 cm tall, 0.3-0.7 cm thick, thin, cylindrical, often curved; the lower part is darker, reddish brown, the upper part paler. The surface is smooth, the inside hollow. There is no ring.

Stem 4-8 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical, relatively short (hence the Ukrainian epithet "short-legged"). The color is whitish to light gray, with thin darker lengthwise fibers. Lower down, it often has a bulb-like swelling. No ring.

The flesh of the cap is thin, whitish, with no particular aroma. In the stem it is stringy and springy. It doesn't change color when cut.

Flesh thin, soft, white, more fibrous in the stem. It doesn't change color when cut. The smell is faint, neutral, with a hint of earthiness. The taste is mild, not bitter.

Faint, pleasant mushroomy smell. Mild taste, nothing special.

Faint, neutral, mushroomy with a hint of earthiness, no distinctive notes.