Tricholoma vernaticum  Shanks (1996)

As the name suggests, this Tricholoma appears in the Spring. It is one of the distinct members of the post snowbank fungal flora of Sierra Nevada. Sometimes it is buried in the duff and hard to pull out clean. This mushroom has a strong odor, which is very hard to describe. Some compare it to cucumber, but to me it smells like a paint solvent.