 The stem is cylindrical , up to 8 cm ( 3 @.@ 1 in ) tall and 2 @.@ 5 cm ( 1 @.@ 0 in ) wide . It is yellow , becoming pink to red towards the base and covered throughout with granules which become darker as the fruit body matures . The partial veil , and later ring , is cottony , off @-@ white and attached to the top third stem . Because the ring is fugacious ( short @-@ lived ) it is not always present ; it is thought that fruit bodies that develop in dry conditions are less likely to have a ring . The flesh is pale yellow and stains red @-@ brown when bruised . At first firm , with maturity it becomes increasingly soft . The spore deposit is coloured brown . The spores are ellipsoid , sized 9 – 12 by 3 @.@ 8 – 4 @.@ 5 μm , thin @-@ walled , and smooth when seen through a microscope . The basidia ( spore @-@ bearing cells ) are club @-@ shaped , four @-@ spored , and measure 22 – 34 by 5 – 8 μm . The flesh reddens and then blackens when potassium hydroxide solution is applied . With iron ( II ) sulphate solution , the flesh slowly discolours to grey . 
