Summary:
Section Denudata subsection Crustuliniformia. Features include 1) a 2-colored to almost 1-colored cap that is light ochraceous to yellowish to yellowish brown or pale reddish brown at the center and whitish to pale cream at the margin, 2) emarginate, occasionally adnate gills that white-fringed at the edges and usually have droplets, 3) a cylindric to clavate stem with a floccose surface, 4) absent cortina but remains of universal veil sometimes on cap, 5) raphanoid odor, 6) fruiting under a variety of hardwoods, and 7) microscopic characters. The description is derived from Beker(1).

Gills:
"emarginate, occasionally adnate [italicized]", maximum breadth 0.3-0.45cm, 33-54 full length gills, droplets usually visible with naked eye or with x10 lens; edge white-fimbriate

Stem:
1.5-6.0(6.5) x (0.2)0.29-0.45(0.7)cm at middle, (0.2)0.29-0.65(0.7)cm wide at base; stem cylindric to clavate, interior stuffed becoming hollow; surface floccose; not rooting, no mycelial cords

Veil:
no cortina; remains of universal veil sometimes on cap

Odor:
raphanoid (radish-like)

Taste:
mild, raphanoid

Microscopic spores:
spores (6.9)8.2-12.4(14.8) x (4.2)4.3-6.5(6.8) microns, amygdaloid, yellow to pale brown through the microscope, usually guttulate, no papilla; basidia (20.5)21.8-27.3(30.1) x (5.5)6.6-8.2(9.1) microns, 4-spored, rarely 2-spored; cheilocystidia (31)35-76(77) microns x (5.1)6.5-14.1(15) microns wide at top, (1.5)3.1-6(7.1) microns wide at middle, and (2.2)2.4-6.6(9) microns wide at base, "clavate-stipitate to capitate stipitate, occasionally more clavate-lageniform [italicized]", special characteristics "often apical thickening, less frequently median thickening, septate [italicized]"; pleurocystidia none; caulocystidia similar to cheilocystidia, but short, up to 11 microns wide at apex

Spore deposit:
"Isabella to brownish olive [italicized]"

Notes:
Unpublished research indicates that Hebeloma helodes occurs in BC, WA, and AK, (Henry Beker, pers. comm.). It has been recorded from Belgium, Faeroe Islands, Finland, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, (Beker(1)).

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