About Tricholoma fracticum (Britzelm.) Kreisel
The mushroom Tricholoma fracticum has a red-brown cap that is roughly smooth, with an initially inrolled margin. The cap measures 3–15 centimetres (1+1⁄4–6 in) in diameter, starts broadly convex, and flattens slightly when it reaches maturity. The cap becomes viscid when wet. Its gills are whitish, attached to the stem, and range from notched to subdecurrent. The sturdy stem is 2–8 cm (3⁄4–3+1⁄4 in) long and 1–2.5 cm thick. The stem is whitish near its apex and orange-brown below, with a flimsy but usually present ring. The flesh of Tricholoma fracticum is white, and does not bruise or change color when exposed to air. The mushroom has an indistinct odor, and its flesh always has a sharp, bitter taste, consistent for this species. The spore print of this species is white. Tricholoma fracticum forms mycorrhizae with conifers, primarily trees of the genus Pinus. It can be found growing in California between October and January.
