Desarmillaria tabescens, commonly called the Ringless Honey Mushroom, is a medium-sized agaric that features a convex to flattened, often wavy, dry yellow-brown cap that may darken in the centre. It appears from late summer to autumn, growing in dense clusters around the bases of hardwood trees, particularly oaks, and on buried roots or stumps. Unlike most Armillaria species, it lacks a ring on the stem.

Cap varies in colour from ochraceous to tawny and dark brown (sometimes yellow to yellowish), when young covered with darker fibrous scales that are at maturity more concentrated toward the centre. It is initially convex, then flattens, becoming wavy and shallowly funnel-shaped. The flesh is white, thin and firm. Gills run down the stem or nearly so and are close or slightly more spaced. Short gills are frequent. They are whitish with pinkish hints. Stem tapers toward the base. It is smooth and pale greyish to brownish near the top, becoming darker brown and almost hairy lower down. There is no ring. Spore print white.

Microscopic Features: The spores are ellipsoidal, smooth, and measure 8–10 by 5–7 µm. They are amyloid.

Synonyms: Desarmillaria tabescens, Armillaria tabescens, and Desarmillaria caespitosa are the same species.

Desarmillaria tabescens on the First Nature Web site.
Armillaria tabescens on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.