Clitocybula     Genus

This is a key to gilled mushrooms, that is, mushrooms having a definite cap with a fertile surface consisting of gills. The fruiting body usually also has a stem, although that may be lateral or absent (usually, then, the mushroom is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify mushrooms that you find.

Fruiting body containing fibers (usually in the stalk)

Spore print "light-colored": white or buff, sometimes tinged with pink or tan. Greenish and (except for the Russulales) yellow spore prints also go here
Stalk fibrous, not fracturing like a piece of chalk

None of the special features distinguishing the other white-spored genera:
Gills not free, as in the Lepiotas and Amanitas
Basidia not extra-long, as in the Hygrophoraceae
Spores smooth, except for Lentinellus

Growing on trees or dead wood, leaves, or sticks, or organic debris, often in moss

Shaped like a “normal mushroom”
Small and fragile to medium-sized, except for one large, grey-capped species

Fruiting body small: cap up to 1 1/4" across (and most clearly smaller than that)

Clitocybula     Genus     (Singer) Métrod

Diagnosis

• Grows in very dense clusters on wood, which is sometimes very decayed
  
• Cap margin uplifted in age, but usually without losing central umbo

Microscropic Characters

• Spores smooth, amyloid

Comments

Narrow down your identification:

Cap up to 1 1/4" across, some shade of light tan or grey, with fine silky hairs
Gills whitish
On coniferous wood

Cap up to 1 1/2" across, some shade of light tan or grey, smooth, margin incurved when young
Gills whitish
On coniferous wood

Cap surface radially streaked, mimicking striations; 3/4" to 2 1/2" across, in general some shade of tan or grey
On any kind of wood

Glossary

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