Paxillus involutus

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 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)

Links from Look-alikes Terrestrial Brown Spored     Family Growing on the ground

Paxillus involutus     (Batsch: Fries) Fries

Here are the characters that distinguish this species from the others in its group. For its more general characters, see higher up on the page.
If there's just a few words or a microscopic feature here, a more thorough description can be found above.

Diagnosis

• 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

Microscropic Characters

• Spores 7-10 x 4-6 µm

 

 

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