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This is a key to gilled mushrooms, that is, mushrooms having a definite cap with a fertile surface consisting of gills. The fruiting body usually also has a stem, although that may be lateral or absent (usually, then, the mushroom is growing from wood). You can use this key to identify mushrooms that you find.

Fruiting body containing fibers (usually in the stalk)

Fruiting body having a combination of some of the following characteristics:
Stalk growing out of a cup of cottony tissue called a volva (all white-spored mushrooms with a volva go here)
Cap with scattered patches or flakes of the same sort of tissue as the volva (see second picture), easily peeled off
Annulus (skirt-like ring on stalk)

Diagnosis

• Annulus present
  
• Volva absent
  
• Usually, the base of the stem has a little knob, but is smooth and otherwise unremarkable
  
• Entire cap (not just the margin) often becoming wavy in age

Microscropic Characters

• Spores amyloid

Narrow down your identification:

Cap orangish, egg-yolk yellow at first, fading to just yellow in age; margin not striate, except perhaps in extreme decrepitude
Universal veil material yellow, forming yellow powder or flakes at the base of the stalk

Cap deep brown to yellowish brown or yellow at first, fading in age
Universal veil material yellow, not fading, forming small scattered patches on cap and flakes or powder on lower stem
Flesh slowly staining red when bruised or in age

Cap up to 8" across; yellowish brown, with darker brown or reddish areas, fading in age
Flesh slowly staining pink to reddish brown in age or when bruised

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