Clitocybe: spores white to pink ; gills broadly adnate to subdecurrent to decurrent but never sinuate and never dichotomously branched nor waxy in appearence; stipe fibrous, but often 4 mm broad at the apex and never with an annulus. Stature: Clitocybioid to Naucorioid.

The gills in species of Tricholoma are either sinuate or adnexed and never subdecurrent nor decurrent; in several species the stipe is annulate. Almost all species of Tricholoma are quite fleshy.whereas many species of Clitocybe are rather soft and pliable.

Once you recognize the gill attachment, the genus Clitocybe is rather easy to recognize in the field.