Pink waxcap how rare?

[lauriek]

I found a shedload of these last year, the books suggest these are quite rare, is that true?

[Fungus Ken]

This species was on the original provisional Red Data List because it was considered to be rare. This prompted people to look at for it and suddenly records started to appear all over the country. So it's not rare but it's a nice find, and a particularly attractive specimen.

Ken

[lauriek]

Thanks Ken, I thought I'd read something to that effect but looked recently and couldn't find it again!

I also thought the gallery could do with a nice shot of this species!!

[Dan Salter]

I heard on radion 4 today that the National Trust are starting a public Wax Cap survey for pretty much this reason?...fingi are under recorded and like this example a true picture is not always the case...

im guessing there will be info on the radio 4 or nat trust websites?

[lauriek]

I'll have to have a look for that, I've got loads of species of waxcaps in my patch!! Green ones, white ones, yellow ones, orange ones, pink ones, red ones! I just wish all the others were as easy to pin down as this one!

[C C]

I think they are a great looking species, they stand out a mile in a field.

I read somewhere, waxcaps are linked to mosses? If, so are they linked as say-Birch Polypore is to Birch.

[Leif]

I consider them rare, having never seen one in many years of searching in the right habitat.

[Fungus Ken]

I think whether you find them or not may depend on where you are in the country.

As a guide, here is the link to the relevant page in the Checklist of the British and Irish Basidiomycota:

Basidiomycota Checklist-Online - Species Page

and here is what it says about Hygrocybe calyptriformis:

"Notes: Occasional but widespread and may be locally frequent. In Britain, far too great an emphasis has been placed on the supposed rarity of this species although it is useful as an indicator of old grassland habitats."

In my own experience (which is mainly sites in the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands) it is locally frequent if you look in the appropriate habitats, which includes Churchyards that are managed in the right way. And speaking to others who hunt for Waxcaps at the right time of the year, this seems to be the general picture.

Ken

[Leif]

It might be more of a Northern species, as I have routinely searched on unimproved grassland in the South Downs, the New Forest (where it does occur), Dartmoor, the Chilterns, and various good wax cap sites in Berkshire. It could just be bad luck of course. If anyone knows good sites near Luton, please let me know. There is apparently a record for H. punicea in the area.