Hygrocybe splendidissima - Splendid Waxcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

One of the most often-misidentified of all the waxcaps, the Splendid Waxcap can be distinguished from the Crimson Waxcap, Hygrocybe punicea, by its dry cap and the smell of honey that is given off when the fruitbodies are dried… but how can you make use of that character is a non-destructive way?

Hygrocybe splendidissima usually has a slightly ( often substantially) flattened stem, particularly near to the base, whereas the stem of Hygrocybe punicea is more or less round.

The Splendid Waxcap is a rare find in most parts of Britain and Ireland, but there are several damp grassland and moorland sites in West Wales and in Scotland where it is relatively common.

Identification Guide

	Cap 5 to 10cm across; initially conical, becoming shallowly convex or flattening with a broad umbo; scarlet; smooth; dry or only very slightly greasy. Gills Adnate; distant; colour as cap but usually somewhat paler. Stem 7 to 10cm long and 1 to 2cm dia.; yellow flushed with cap colour, but paler near base; irregularly flattened and longitudinally grooved, narrowing near base; smooth; no ring.
Spore print	White.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	Closely cropped or mown grassland where artificial fertilisers are not spread. This species is rare in southernm Britain and Ireland but more common in Scotland.
Season	August to November.
Occurrence	Infrequent.
Similar species	Hygrocybe coccinea is smaller, a paler red, and has a less fibrous reddish stem. Hygrocybe conica has a more pointed cap and yellow stem flesh;it turns black with age or when cut.