Paxillus     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)

Gills not free
Spore print tan, orange, deep ochre, yellowish olive, olive brown, rusty or cinnamon brown or deep brown
Ring usually either absent or not membranous

Growing on wood

Cap usually more than 2" across, and sometimes up to 8; usually tan, yellow, or pumpkin-colored

Paxillus     Genus     Fries

Diagnosis

• Fruiting body tough
  
• Gills often forking and cross-veined near the stalk; often easily separable from the cap
  
• Cap usually 3-4" across; margin inrolled when young
  
• Stalkless Brown, Olive, Orange or Tan Spored mushrooms go here if they are firm and substantial; small, flabby ones go in Crepidotus)

Microscropic Characters

• Spores smooth

Comments

Narrow down your identification:

Cap up to 6" across; brown
Stalk with a velvety coating of blackish-brown hairs

Cap up to 2" across; brownish, often with reddish-brown patches
Stalk absent
Gills bright orange or orange yellow
On coniferous wood, especially hemlock and pine

Cap up to 6" across; light brown; viscid, at least at the disk, when moist; often slightly velvety
Fruiting body staining reddish brown when cut or bruised
Usually with birch, oak or pine

Cap up to 5" across; dingy olive to dingy maroon; no reddish-brown patches
Stalk absent
Gills yellow
On coniferous wood

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