How to tell St George's mushroom from Split fibrecap

Cap 2-7 cm across; in young mushrooms conical or bell-shaped with a pointed knob, later it opens out, but the knob stays. Color yellowish-ochre, straw-yellow, light brown in old mushrooms. The surface has a distinctive radially fibrous pattern, and when mature — deep radial cracks from the center to the edge (hence the species name rimosum — "cracked"). The margin is often split and upturned.

The cap is 5-15 cm across (large, fleshy); when young it is hemispherical with an inrolled margin, with age becoming flat-convex, and in old specimens flat and spread out with a wavy margin. The skin is smooth, dry and matte in wet weather, with a fine felty fibrousness. Color: creamy white, ochre-cream, with a faint brownish tint at the center; in old specimens creamy ochre. The margin is even — inrolled when young, wavy and irregular when old.

Gilled hymenophore. Gills fairly crowded, notched where they meet the stem. In young mushrooms they are whitish-gray, turning olive-brown or tobacco-colored with age. Spore print tobacco-brown or tobacco-colored — typical of the whole genus Inocybe.

Lamellate hymenophore: the gills are notched (emarginate) at the stem, very crowded, thin, fleshy. Color: pure white to creamy white, with no pink or green tint — a diagnostic feature (it sets the mushroom apart from the poisonous Entoloma sinuatum, whose gills turn pink). Spore print white.

Stem 3-8 cm tall, 0.4-1 cm thick, cylindrical, even or slightly thickened toward the base. Whitish to yellowish, paler at the top. Surface lengthwise fibrous, no ring. Flesh of the stem firm, hollow in old mushrooms.

The stem is 3-7 cm tall, 1.5-3 cm thick — much shorter and thicker than the cap is wide (hence gambosa — "short-legged"). Cylindrical, thickening toward the base, firm, fleshy. Color: white to creamy white. Surface: smooth, with fine lengthwise fibers in the lower part. No ring.

Flesh thin, whitish to yellowish, does not change color when cut.

The flesh is very firm, fleshy, pure white. It does not change color when cut. Smell: distinctly mealy, sharp and characteristic (like freshly milled flour or dough); taste sweetish and nutty, with no bitterness.

Distinctly spermatic or stale and musty — typical of the whole genus Inocybe. This is an important diagnostic sign: if an unknown brownish mushroom has this unpleasant smell, throw it away without hesitation. Some sources describe the smell as "stale flour". The taste is mild or slightly bitter — do NOT rely on taste.

Distinctly mealy, like freshly milled flour or raw dough — a diagnostic feature, easy to notice on a cut surface.