BASIDIOMYCETES: Agaricales, Gomphidiaceae

Slimy Gomphidius, Gomphidius glutinosus

Basidiomycetes, order: Agaricales, family: Gomphidiaceae

Height to 4"

Cap is up to 4" wide, convex, becoming flattened and then depressed in the center. Surface is smooth and slimy when wet and colored purplish to grayish-brown, sometimes with darker spots. The stalk is thick, becoming narrower at the base, white above and yellowish below. There is a thin, fibrous, slimy collar, sometimes stained gray with spores, that is often missing in maturity. Gills are thick, descending down the stalk, and pale to dark gray. Spore print is gray to black. The Slimy Gomphidius grows on the ground in coniferous woodlands throughout North America during the summer and fall. It is edible but best if the slimy surface is removed first.