Species details
Crimson waxcap
Hygrocybe punicea
Conditional / expert preparation
Photo: David Callender · CC BY 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A large vivid red waxcap with thick, widely spaced yellow-orange gills and a fibrous red-yellow stem.
Identification features
The cap is large, initially bell-conical, later expanded, blood- to cherry-red and greasy when young. Gills are thick and spaced. The stem is reddish to orange with a pale to white base.
Identification checklist
Check its large size, thick fleshy red cap, broad spaced gills, and non-blackening flesh. Document the grassland habitat as well.
How to separate similar species
Hygrocybe coccinea is usually smaller, while H. conica blackens with age or injury. Red colour alone is not enough.
Habitat
Grows in unimproved grassland, pastures, and moss, especially in upland and alpine areas, mainly in autumn.
Fruiting period
September, October, November
Similar species
- Scarlet waxcap (Hygrocybe coccinea)
- Hygrocybe splendidissima
- Blackening waxcap (Hygrocybe conica)