Stem: yellow above and red-brown or orange-tawny below and darkening on bruising; veil forming a delicate fibrillose zone in the upper part of the stem which is soon lost on excessive handling.
Gills: adnate to slightly decurrent, thin and crowded, at first golden yellow, but soon spotted rust colour.
Flesh: yellow and lacking distinctive smell.
Spore-print: rich orange-tawny.
Spores: medium-sized, ellipsoid, finely roughened and deep yellow brown under the microscope, less than 10 µm in length (7-8 × 5-4 µm).
Marginal cystidia: hyaline, flask-shaped with long often slightly irregular neck.
Facial cystidia: similar to the marginal cystidia, but often broader.
Habitat & Distribution: This fungus is found on sticks or twigs or chips of coniferous wood, particularly in plantations.
General Information: Although it has only comparatively recently been recognised in Britain it is very wide-spread. It has been confused with, indeed described under, the name of the less-common fungus Gymnopilus sapineus (Fries) Maire which also grows in conifer woods; it is easily distinguished, however, by its spotted gills. Both the fungi above can be found in books under the old name Flammula, from the bright colour of the caps of many of its constituent members, but Flammula has been used for a genus of flowering plants also and this has precedence.
Illustrations: F 29a; Hvass 152 not very good; LH 175 not very good; NB 1096.