Hygrocybe conicoides - Dune Waxcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

This fairly common waxcap occurs in short grass mainly on coastal sand dunes - particularly on the edges of dune slacks and beside sandy paths across dunes.

The specific epithet conicoides implies that this waxcap resembles Hygrocybe conica, the Blackening Waxcap. When young it certainly does; however, whereas Hygrocybe conica turns black all over as soon as it is mature, the Dune Waxcap blackens only slightly, mainly in the stem rather than all over.

Identification Guide

	Cap The orange-red caps, which are broadly conical and typically 2 to 4cm in diameter, are silky in dry weather but become greasy when wet. The caps blacken in placeas with age or when cut or bruised.
	Gills The broad, pink-tinged yellow gills are adnate or adnexed and closely spaced.
	Stem Yellow, blackening with age or when cut, the level diameter stipe has no ring and is distinguished by fibrous longitudinal striations. Typically 5 to 10mm in diameter, stems range between 2 and 7cm tall.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	None detectable.
Habitat	Short grass on sandy soil, most often in coastal sand-dune areas.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	An infrequent find but often plentiful in those location in which it occurs.
Similar species	Hygrocybe conica blackens all over as soon as it reaches maturity. Hygrocybe laeta is smaller. usually darker, and has decurrent gills. Hygrocybe intermedia is very similar but usually more orange and has a fibrous, non-greasy cap that does not smell soapy when squashed.