Dark honey fungusArmillaria ostoyae

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.

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 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 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.

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.