Summary:
Clitocybe gibba is distinguished by a pale pinkish tan cap that is funnel-shaped at maturity, decurrent gills that are crowded and whitish, and a pallid slender stem. Var. occidentalis from CA and AK has elliptic to elliptic oblong spores 6-8(8.5) x 3.5-4(4.5) microns, and has paler colors and a stem colored like the cap (paler in var. gibba). Var. cernua from MI has the stem colored as the cap and a cap that at maturity is flat or at most shallowly depressed rather than funnel-shaped.

Cap:
3-8cm across, flat or with central depression, becoming funnel-shaped, margin often wavy; tan to pinkish tan, flesh-colored, or pinkish cinnamon, fading; smooth not viscid, (Arora), (1.5)3-9cm across, typically flat at first with disc shallowly depressed and margin narrowly incurved and decurved [downcurved], disc becoming umbilicate or deeply depressed, finally usually infundibuliform [funnel-shaped] with margin elevated or arched or wavy; not hygrophanous but sometimes appearing hygrophanous because of water-soaking, usually pinkish tan or flesh color, sometimes darker when immature or on disc of expanded specimens, sometimes browner when old, sometimes pale from rain wash; appearing bald but matted-fibrillose under hand lens, at times becoming diffracted-scaly about disc when old or in dry weather, (Bigelow)

Flesh:
thin; whitish, (Arora), thin, fibrous or fragile or watery depending on weather; whitish, (Bigelow)

Gills:
deeply decurrent, crowded; white or pale buff, (Arora), moderately decurrent to long-decurrent, crowded to close, narrow, 0.2-0.4cm broad, thin, forked at times; white to slightly yellowish or pale buff ("cartridge buff", "pale pinkish buff", "light buff"), sometimes darker when old ("pinkish buff"); interveined at times, edges even but brittle, (Bigelow)

Stem:
3-8cm x 0.4-1cm, usually slender, equal or thicker in lower part; whitish to buff; smooth or faintly fibrillose, base often with white down, (Arora), (1.5)3-7cm x (0.2)0.4-0.8(1.2)cm at top, equal or base widened somewhat, central, stuffed becoming hollow; whitish, pallid, pale yellowish or pale flesh color, in var. gibba paler than cap; bald or longitudinally striate with white fibrils, "base often with copious tomentum which adheres to surrounding leaves and humus", (Bigelow)

Veil:
[presumably none]

Odor:
mild or faintly sweet like cyanide, (Arora), usually not distinctive, occasionally reported with slight alkaline or slight farinaceous component, (Bigelow), a little like almond or anise (Kibby)

Taste:
usually not distinctive, occasionally reported with slight alkaline or slight farinaceous component, (Bigelow)

Microscopic spores:
spores 5-8 x 3.5-5 microns, elliptic, smooth, (Arora), spores (5)6-8(10) x 3.5-5(6) microns including apiculus, elliptic to pear-shaped or obovate in face view, sublacrymate [nearly droplet-shaped] in side view, smooth, inamyloid; basidia usually 4-spored, rarely 1-, 2-, or 3-spored, (18)22-36 x 5-8.5 microns; [pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia presumably absent]; clamp connections present, (Bigelow)

Spore deposit:
white (Arora, Bigelow)

Notes:
Collections of var. gibba were examined from BC, WA, AB, ON, QC, AZ, CA, CO, FL, MA, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NM, NY, OH, TN, TX, UT, VT, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland, (Bigelow). It was reported from ID by Andrew Parker, pers. comm. It has also been reported from Mexico (Laferriere).

EDIBILITY

excellent but difficult for beginners to identify, (Arora)

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Clitocybe australis Murrill
Clitocybe infundibuliformis (Schaeff.) Quel.
Infundibulicybe gibba (Pers.) Harmaja