Sheathed woodtuft or Dark honey fungus

The cap is 3-7 cm across, hemispherical with an inrolled edge in young mushrooms, later becoming convex to flat with a noticeable low bump. The color is two-toned: in wet weather the center is dark chestnut-brown and the edge pale ocher; in dry weather it's the other way around. The surface is smooth, slimy in wet weather. The cap skin peels off easily.

The cap of dark honey fungus is 4 to 10, occasionally up to 15 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical or convex-bell-shaped; with age it opens up to flat with a small bump. The surface is covered with conspicuous dark — brown to blackish — flattened scales, especially dense in the center. The color is yellowish brown, honey brown or dark reddish, darker than honey fungus. The dark scaly cap is a characteristic feature of the species.

Gilled hymenophore: the gills are attached to the stem, moderately crowded. In young mushrooms they are pale beige, cream, darkening with age to brown, chocolate-brown as the spores ripen. The spore print is brown to rusty brown. In young mushrooms the gills are covered by a whitish partial veil.

The hymenophore is gilled. The gills are whitish or cream, developing yellowish-brown spots with age; they are attached to the stem or run slightly down it. The spore print is white. Pale gills that turn brown with age, together with the ring on the stem, help you recognize dark honey fungus.

The stem is 4-8 cm tall and 0.5-1 cm thick, cylindrical, often curved. Two-toned: in the upper part (above the ring) it is smooth, pale ocher-cream. In the lower part (below the ring) it is brownish-black, with distinct brown toothlike scales that stick outward. The ring is narrow, membranous, brownish; noticeable in young mushrooms, it may disappear in older ones.

The stem is cylindrical, 6 to 15 centimeters tall, fairly firm and fibrous, often with a thickened base. Its defining feature is a well-developed, sturdy, whitish ring in the upper part, often with brown scales along the edge. Above the ring the stem is pale; below it, reddish brown and fibrous. Several stems often grow fused together in a cluster. There is no volva.

The flesh is meaty in the cap, thin in the stem, creamy white to brownish cream. When cut it does not change color. The smell and taste are pleasantly mushroomy, with a nutty note.

The flesh is whitish, fairly firm in the cap and fibrous and tough in the stem. It barely changes color when cut. The taste is mild and pleasant, but because the raw mushroom tends to cause stomach upset, it must always be boiled thoroughly. Young caps are chosen for the table, while old fibrous stems are usually discarded.

Pleasantly mushroomy with a nutty note. No chemical or mealy undertones, an extra diagnostic feature against Galerina, which has a faint mealy smell.

The smell is faint, pleasant and mushroomy, with no sharp notes. Aroma is not a defining feature, so for identification rely on the dark scaly cap, the ring on the stem, growth in dense clusters on conifer wood and the autumn season.