Cap
|
Tremendously variable in cap colour, between
reddish-brown and pale grey, the caps of this species are initially
convex, flattening but with a slight umbo and often turning up at the edge when fully developed.
The cap diameter at maturity ranges from 4 to 9 cm |
Gills
|
The crowded adnexed or sometimes free gills
are white or very pale cream. Towards the end of the season, the cap
cuticles of mature specimens seem to contract slightly so that the gills
flare upwards at the edge. |
Stipe
|
Of the same general colour range as the cap, but paler at the top and often
covered in fine white hairs near the base, the stem tapers in noticeably
towards the apex.
At the base of the stem, which is often bent where it enters the soil,
there is a spongy bulb. The stem is very tough and not easily separable from
the cap.
|
Spore print |
Cream-buff. |
Odour/taste |
Not distinctive. |
Habitat |
Mainly under conifers but occasionally also in
deciduous woodland. |
Season |
June to December. |
Occurrence |
Very common. |
Similar species |
- Collybia distorta is a much less common species with a dry, red
cap and a more swollen base below a twisted stem.
|