Hygrophorus leucophaeus

The cap of Hygrophorus leucophaeus is small — 2 to 6 centimeters across. When young it is convex with an inrolled margin; with age it flattens out, usually keeping a small bump in the center. The surface is smooth, slimy and sticky in wet weather. The coloring is delicate — whitish, cream or pale ochre at the edge and reddish-orange, warm ochre in the center. A slimy cap in two tones is a telltale feature of the species.

The spore-bearing surface is made of gills. The gills are thick, widely spaced and waxy to the touch, attached to the stem or running slightly down it (decurrent). They are white or cream. The spore print is white. Thick, waxy, decurrent white gills are a classic trait of the woodwax genus.

The stem is cylindrical, fairly slender, 3 to 7 centimeters tall, white or cream, dry and mealy near the top and sometimes slightly sticky lower down. There is no ring and no volva. The surface is smooth or finely fibrous. The stem flows smoothly into the cap, with no sharp boundary.

The flesh is white, thin and waxy, and does not change color when cut. The taste is mild and not bitter, but rather bland overall. Because of the thin flesh and slimy cap skin, the mushroom is only moderately valued at the table: choose young, firm specimens and peel off the sticky skin.

The smell is faint, pleasant or almost imperceptible, with no sharp notes. Scent isn't a defining feature, so for identification rely on the slimy whitish-tan cap, thick waxy white gills and growth next to beech or hornbeam.