GraylingCantharellula umbonata

The cap of the grayling is small — 2 to 5 centimeters across. When young it is convex, becoming funnel-shaped and depressed with age, yet it almost always keeps a prominent pointed knob (umbo) in the center, to which the mushroom owes its name. The surface is finely fibrous, dry, matte. The coloring is gray, gray-brown or ashy brown, often darker in the center.

The hymenophore is gilled. The gills are white or grayish-white, narrow, very crowded, running noticeably down the stem (decurrent) and characteristically forked (splitting in two), reminiscent of the ridges of chanterelles. When damaged and with age, they may develop reddish-pink spots. The spore print is white. Forked decurrent gills are the key feature of the species.

The stem is thin, cylindrical, 3 to 8 centimeters tall, grayish or light brown, matching the cap or slightly paler, springy, with whitish felty mycelium at the base. The surface is smooth or finely fibrous. There is no ring and no volva. When cut, the stem may also turn slightly red.

The flesh is thin, springy, whitish or grayish, and when cut or damaged slowly takes on a reddish-pink tint. The taste is mild, without bitterness. Because of its thin texture, the mushroom rounds out the basket rather than anything else; for the table, choose young, firm specimens.

The smell is faint, pleasant or almost imperceptible, with no sharp notes. The aroma is not a defining feature, so for identification you rely on the gray knobbed cap, the forked decurrent gills that turn red, and its growth among haircap moss.