Also called the hymenium, this is where spores are dispersed from. A few types of hymenium include gills, pores, teeth, folds, and more.

On a mushroom with gills they may be attatched to the cap in a few different ways. Decurrent gills run all the way down the stalk (also known as stipe) of the mushroom. Attatched gills stop at the stipe but are visibly touching / attatched to it. Free gills stop before the stipe and have a gap.

Notable details on the cap and stipes of mushrooms include the style of cap and edges (wavy, hairy, ect), spots or bumps on top, A ring on the stipe, what they are growing on, and more.

Mushrooms can have either a mycorrhizal or saprophytic relationship with plants and trees. Some mushrooms can often be found near or on these trees/plants. Another way to determine Identity is by taking a spore print. Spore prints are taken by placing a mushroom spore surface down on a piece of paper and waiting a few hours for it to release its spores. Then you can determine the color of spores which is important for differentiating between similar species