Unidentified Waxcap

[theresa dockery]

I'd be most grateful if anyone would help me to identify this Hygrocybe - I'm new to fungi, so I apologise if this is a ridiculously easy species!





I photographed the fungus in early August. It was growing on rough grassland in central Scotland.

The cap was yellowish-toffee coloured (being darker in the centre of the cap and paler towards the edges) & approx. 4cm in diameter.

The stem was golden-yellow, fibrilose and was approx. 1cm diameter & 3cm in length.

The gills were yellow and slightly paler than stem.

Both cap & stem were dry - the cap being slightly waxy.

[flaxton]

It might be way off the mark but I think it might be Pluteus leoninus.

Mal

[Ditiola]

I would agree to one of the yellow Pluteus

Theresa (and anyone else who does not yet regularly make spore prints)
I wish I had a pound for every time I say: "Always make a spore print"

Waxcaps have white spores and Pluteus have pinkish - brown spores

Some books such as Roger Philips have the toadstools arranged in the book by spore colour and with such books; Pinkish spores and yellow cap would have taken you straight to the yellow Pluteus.

Peter

[theresa dockery]

Thanks very much for the help!

Are Pluteus normally found in grassland? The habitat I found it in was completely treeless moor/rough grassland.

I do normally make a spore-print but I felt bad about taking a specimen, as there was only one fruiting body.

Sorry that my photos are terrible and don't show the colours well - the gills & stem were very yellow, right down to the base (not even a hint of white/cream).

I have a copy of Roger Phillips' book (it's at my parent's place with all the rest of my books) so I'm relying on his website instead - which I'm finding harder to use.

Thanks again to you both for the help - I really appreciate it!

[Ditiola]

As it is in grassland then perhaps it is a Waxcap after all, or could it still be a Pluteus but on buried wood!

Peter

[mollisia]

Hello,

I think it could well be a Hygrocybe of the persistens group.

best regards,
Andreas

[AlanS]

My immediate thought is also H. persistens, with a well expanded cap.

I note this was photographed in early August in central Scotland. Given the right weather, H. persistens often fruits in great abundance in central and highland Scotland in mid-summer - earlier than other waxcaps.

As I was in the highlands on fieldwork (non mycological) and enduring a great deal of the weather that suits Hygrocybes quite well, at just about this time, I can vouch for the abundance of H. persistens last August! [Sigh, if only its considerable variation included a midge-ivorous variant.]

Alan

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by flaxton

It might be way off the mark but I think it might be Pluteus leoninus.

Mal

OK so I was way off the mark

[theresa dockery]

Originally Posted by AlanS

I note this was photographed in early August in central Scotland. Given the right weather, H. persistens often fruits in great abundance in central and highland Scotland in mid-summer - earlier than other waxcaps.

As I was in the highlands on fieldwork (non mycological) and enduring a great deal of the weather that suits Hygrocybes quite well, at just about this time, I can vouch for the abundance of H. persistens last August! [Sigh, if only its considerable variation included a midge-ivorous variant.]

Alan

Thanks for the help!

I was quite surprised to find waxcaps so early in the season.

I found more waxcaps on the same day, at a different location - which I collected specimens of & photographed (I will post these tomorrow), which may be the same species....

[theresa dockery]

Thanks everyone!

I'm pleased to have got a positive ID considering the lack of spore print & decent photos showing stem & gill structure