Species details
Golden waxcap
Hygrocybe chlorophana
Conditional / expert preparation
Photo: Dr. Hans-Günter Wagner · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · License
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Description
A pale to bright yellow slimy waxcap with thick spaced gills, typical of unimproved natural grassland.
Identification features
The cap is 1.5–7 cm wide, pale to vivid yellow, sometimes orange-brown, sticky-slimy and often striate at the margin. Gills are pale, thick and spaced. The stem is yellowish to orange-yellow.
Identification checklist
Check the yellow slimy cap, thick spaced gills and grassland habitat. Older fruitbodies may fade or become browner.
How to separate similar species
Hygrocybe ceracea is usually smaller and has differently attached gills. Yellow waxcaps can look very similar, so colour alone is insufficient.
Habitat
Grows in natural grassland, often with other waxcaps, mainly in autumn.
Fruiting period
September, October, November