Spindle toughshank or Honey fungus

Cap 3-10 cm, hemispherical at first, then convex-spreading; in old specimens with an upturned, wavy edge. Color reddish brown, russet-brown, darker in the center and paler toward the edge. The surface is dry and smooth, slightly shiny in wet weather.

The honey fungus cap is 3–12 cm across. In young mushrooms it is spherical-convex with an inrolled margin; with age it becomes flat and spreading, with a small bump in the middle.

The color varies from honey-yellow and ochre-brown to dark brown with an olive tinge — it depends on the host tree species. The surface is covered with characteristic small dark scales, especially dense in the center. In wet weather the cap is slightly slimy; in dry weather it is dry and matte.

Gilled hymenophore. Gills fairly distant, attached or slightly decurrent. Pale cream to yellowish, developing rusty spots with age. Spore print white.

The hymenophore has gills. The gills are moderately crowded, thin, attached to the stem by a short tooth or running slightly down it.

In young mushrooms the color is creamy white; with age it darkens to a dirty ochre, often with rusty spore stains. In young mushrooms the veil (velum) covers the hymenophore like a membrane and later remains on the stem as a characteristic white ring — an important diagnostic feature.

Stem 6-15 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick in the middle, characteristically spindle-shaped — swollen in the middle, narrowing downward (to 0.5-1 cm), and at the base it turns into a long pointed "root" that goes deep into the ground to the oak root. Deep lengthwise furrows and red-brown spots are diagnostic features. There is no ring.

The honey fungus stem is slender and tall: 6–15 cm tall, 0.8–2 cm thick. Cylindrical, often slightly curved, a little wider at the base. The upper part is whitish-yellow, darkening to rusty brown toward the base.

The surface is fibrous, covered with small brown scales in the lower part. The ring is the main identifying feature: white, membranous, well-developed, located in the upper third of the stem. There is no volva.

The flesh is whitish to yellowish in the cap; in the stem it is dense, woody, with reddish spots. It barely changes color when cut. Tough — especially in the stem. It has a faint bitter aftertaste.

Flesh thin, white, noticeably fibrous in the stem. It doesn't change color when cut — it stays consistently white or cream. In the cap the flesh is softer and juicy; in the stem it is toughish and often hollow in old specimens.

The raw flesh tastes astringent and bitterish — which is exactly why honey fungus must be boiled before eating. After cooking the bitterness disappears and the flesh takes on a pleasant mushroomy flavor.

Faint mushroomy or slightly sourish smell. The taste is slightly bitter — it needs boiling.

Fresh honey fungus smells pleasant, light, typically mushroomy — with barely noticeable notes of damp wood and moss. It has none of the sharp sourish or chemical tinges found in false honey fungi — an important safety difference.

The aroma doesn't change when cut. Dried, the mushroom keeps a light mushroomy smell, but because of its high moisture content and thin cap, honey fungus is rarely dried — it is more often pickled or salted.