Hygrocybe coccinea, sometimes called the scarlet hood, scarlet waxcap or righteous red waxy cap, is a colourful fungus of the genus Hygrocybe, forming a small red (but indistinct) mushroom. It is found across the Northern Hemisphere, being a familiar sight in unimproved grasslands of Europe in late summer and autumn, and in woodlands of North America in winter. It is edible but of low interest.
Source: Wikipedia
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Distribution
Common and widespread
Habitat
In unimproved grasslands, cemeteries, lawns, roadsides etc.
Cap
Fading to whitish in the centre
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| Shape | Convex |
| Surface | Smooth |
| Width | 1 - 6 cm |
Gills
Adnate with a decurrent tooth
| Colour | |
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| Attachment | Adnate |
| Spacing | Distant |
Flesh
| Colour |
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Stem
Often compressed and matt to silky
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 2 - 7 cm |
| Width | 3 - 6 mm |
| Texture | Smooth |
| Shape | Cylindric |
Spores
Often narrowed at apex
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Ellipsoid |
| Ornamentation | Smooth |
| Size | 7.5-10 x 4.5-6 μm |
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Subclass: Agaricomycetidae
- ↳ Order: Agaricales
- ↳ Family: Hygrophoraceae
- ↳ Genus: Hygrocybe
Synonyms
- Agaricus coccineus Schaeff. non Sowerby (1799)
- Hygrocybe coccinea (Schaeff. ex Fr.) P. Kumm.
- Hygrocybe coccinea var. umbonata Herink
- Hygrophorus coccineus (Schaeff. ex Fr.) Fr.
- Hygrophorus coccineus (Schaeff.) Fr.
Reference Sources
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
G. Kibby (2020) Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain & Europe Vol. 2. Geoffrey Kibby.
