Species details
Spotted woodwax
Hygrophorus pustulatus
Traditionally edible
Photo: Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A small grey-brown woodwax of conifer woods with characteristic dark dotted granules on the upper white stem.
Identification features
The cap is grey to sooty brown, usually darker centrally and finely dotted. Gills are white, thick and spaced. The white stem bears conspicuous dark dots near the top.
Identification checklist
The most useful combination is a small grey cap without a distinctive smell and a dark-dotted upper stem.
How to separate similar species
Hygrophorus agathosmus is larger and has a characteristic almond-like smell. Compare stem, odour and tree association in other grey woodwaxes.
Habitat
Grows with conifers, especially spruce and pine, often among moss, mainly in autumn.
Fruiting period
October, November