Hygrocybe irrigata - Slimy Waxcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Hygrocybe irrigata (syn. Hygrocybe unguinosa) is a fairly rare waxcap of cropped pasture, churchyards and open woodlands. Hygrocybe unguinosa, the Slimy Waxcap, is an autumn and early winter species.

Like so many of the waxcaps, this mushroom is much more common in upland areas of acid soil, but it has also been found in lowland grassland and woodland edge habitats including the downlands of southern England.

Identification Guide

	Cap Pale tan or grey-brown; very slimy. Initially bell-shaped, becoming flatter but retaining a broad umbo. Pale striations are visible at the margin.
Gills	White, darkening with age; adnate with a decurrent tooth; thick and waxy.
Stem	The same brownish colour as or slightly paler than the cap, becoming much paler towards the base; slightly compressed; no ring; often crooked, as are the stems of many other waxcaps.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Churchyards and cropped, unimproved grassland; occasionally in open woodland, on woodland edges and in cropped grass beneath hedgerows.
Season	September to November.
Occurrence	In trooping groups; very infrequent.
Similar species	Because of its slimy cap, brown colouration and lack of a strong nitrous odour, this mushroom is unlikely to be confused with any other waxcap species.