In spruce forest on calcareous soil, montane to subalpine

Edible when young, becomes bitter with age

• ▸ Whitish to cream cap that stains yellow when bruised
• ▸ Smooth cap in young specimens, cracking and becoming scaly with age
• ▸ Very short, often eccentric stem
• ▸ Whitish pores running down the stem; older specimens sometimes greenish-brown at the base