This feature refers to the sliminess of otherwise of the stipe surface. Where a partial veil is present, the viscid or glutinous portion of the stipe is usually below the veil remnants.

This feature must be observed on very fresh material in excellent condition. In dry, hot or windy conditions the surface of the stipe will rapidly dry out and any sliminess disappear. When a viscid or glutinous stipe has dried out, fragments of leaves or litter (or even small invertebrates) can often be seen sticking to the stipe surface; in a dry or moist stipe such fragments are readily blown away or brushed off. Another sign of a viscid or glutinous stipe that has dried out is that the surface may be shiny (as if varnished), although this is not always due to dried slime. If you suspect that the stipe has dried out, look around for fresher fruit-bodies which might be found nearby under leaves or litter, or in other more protected microhabitats.

Choose this state if: there is a thin layer of slime on the stipe, like the trail of a snail or slug. When you place a finger on the surface it will feel sticky or tacky, but the slime is not thick enough to be lifted readily from the surface (as in a glutinous stipe). The viscid portion of the stipe may only extend upwards from the base to the remnants of the partial veil (annulus or ring zone).

The terms 'subviscid' or 'tacky' just refer to slightly different degrees of viscidity.