Olive wax capHygrophorus olivaceoalbus

The cap of the olive wax cap reaches 3 to 8, occasionally up to 12 centimeters across. When young it is hemispherical or convex with an inrolled margin; with age it flattens out, usually with a small bump (umbo) in the center. The surface is very slimy and sticky, especially in wet weather. The color is olive-brown, gray-olive or dark brown, with darker radial fibrous streaks spreading from the center; the margin is paler. The slimy, streaked olive cap is a recognizable 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 pure white, sometimes with a faint grayish tint near the base. The spore print is white. Thick, waxy, decurrent white gills are a typical hallmark of the Hygrophorus genus.

The stem is cylindrical, 4 to 12 centimeters tall and white. Its defining feature is its slimy coating: above a ring-like zone the stem is white and dry, while below it is covered with a sticky layer with dark gray-olive bands and scales arranged in tiers, like snakeskin. This pattern makes the species easy to recognize. There is no volva, and no true ring either — only a slimy ring zone remains.

The flesh is white and firm, waxy in the cap, and does not change color when cut. The taste is mild, without bitterness, but generally bland. Because of the slimy cap skin and mediocre taste, the mushroom is only moderately valued for the table; people choose young, firm specimens and peel the sticky skin off the cap.

The smell is faint, pleasant or nearly indistinct, with no sharp notes. Aroma is not a defining feature, so for identification rely on the slimy, streaked olive cap, the white waxy gills, the banded slimy stem and its growth next to spruce.