Pholiota communis

The fruitbody is a mushroom with a cap atop a central stem. The caps are initially conical and flatten with age but often keep a central hump (technically an umbo). The caps may grow to over 7 centimetres in diameter, but mature mushrooms often have markedly smaller caps. The cap is viscid in moist conditions and often appears smooth, but a closer look shows radial fibrils that are tightly pressed against the surface. In older mushrooms these fibres may be more easily seen closer to the centre. Occasionally the fibres may aggregate to create scattered scales. The cap is initially some shade of darker brown but with age may become more yellowish brown or brownish yellow, especially away from the centre.

 The gills are dirty yellowish but soon become more brownish as the spores mature. The stem may grow to over 7 centimetres long and up to a centimetre in diameter. It is dry and is smooth and yellowish near the apex but most of the stem is covered with orange-brown fibrils that may aggregate to create irregular scales.    

 The partial veil is present in young mushrooms, is yellowish and of a thick, cobwebby appearance. All traces may disappear as the mushroom ages. There is no universal veil.

 Spore print: dull brown

 The mushrooms appear on woody material (e.g. woodchips in urban areas, woody debris in forests).  This is a native species that was first described in 1918 (as Flammula californica var. communis), based on material collected in New South Wales.

 Look-alikes

The combination of features listed above should make this easy to recognize