Gomphidius glutinosus

Pileus
Cap 4-9 cm broad, convex when young with an inrolled margin, expanding to plano-convex, the margin then decurved to upturned; surface glabrous, slimy, often streaked dark purple-grey to purple-brown, paler towards the margin, in age often developing blackish spots; context thick, white, soft, unchanging, tinged pale-pinkish-brown directly below the cuticle; odor and taste mild.

Lamellae
Gills decurrent, close, relatively broad, occasionally forked towards the margin, at first pallid to pale-grey, maturing smoky-grey; lamellulae absent to rare.

Stipe
Stipe 3-9 cm long x 1-2 cm broad, solid, cylindrical to narrowed at the base; surface of apex white, more or less glabrous, lower portion covered with soft, white cottony fibrils, lemon-yellow at the base; partial veil fibrillose-glutinous, pallid, soon blackish from spore drop, leaving a thin, appressed blackish annulus high on the stipe.

Spores
Stipe 3-9 cm long x 1-2 cm broad, solid, cylindrical to narrowed at the base; surface of apex white, more or less glabrous, lower portion covered with soft, white cottony fibrils, lemon-yellow at the base; partial veil fibrillose-glutinous, pallid, soon blackish from spore drop, leaving a thin, appressed blackish annulus high on the stipe.

Habitat
Solitary to scattered, rarely clustered, often with Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) in north coast forests, occasionally with other conifers; fruiting shortly after the fall rains; common in its preferred habitat, see "Comments".

Edibility
Edible, slimy, generally considered of little value.

Comments
Although seldom collected in the San Francisco Bay Area, Gomphidius glutinosus is common along California's north coast where it appears to be mycorrhizal with Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), possibly also with western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). South of Mendocino county, the latitudinal limit of Sitka spruce, Gomphidius glutinosus is largely absent, replaced by another Gomphidius species, G. oregonensis, a putative mycorrhizal associate of Douglas fir. The two species are often confused but can be distinguished by cap color, fruiting habit, and spore size. The cap of Gomphidius glutinosus is purplish-grey to purplish-brown while that of G. oregonensis is lavender-brown, pinkish-brown to salmon-pink. Both species develop blackish cap spots in age. A helpful field character is the tendency of Gomphidius glutinosus to fruit singly, while G. oregonensis in well-rooted clusters. Spore size also separates the two. The spores of Gomphidius glutinosus are distinctly larger, 15-19 microns long versus 11-14 microns for Gomphidius oregonensis.