Waxcap puzzle

[diggleken]

Hi,
this one is geting me all confused, not too difficult.........
If it actually is a waxcap.
I just thought it a meadow waxcap H pratensis, and didnt pay too much attention, but noticed the stipe is quite yellow in the pic and the gills arent too decurrent, when I downloaded, which doesnt really fit.
My excuse was it was on open moorland and I was frozen at 1300 ft yesterday, so in a hurry!
I wondered about H aurantiosplendens, which I dont know.

Thats the only shot, it shows gills and cap though as distant, concolourous, and only slightly decurrent, with a slightly viscid cap and pale margins.
A pale washed out Reidii and a Persistens also crossed my mind.
Any thoughts ?
Cheers
Ken

[Lancashire Lad]

Hi Ken,

I can't think of what it might be if not a waxcap - but don't hold your breath!!

The gills don't look to have the decurrent tooth that would be expected on H.aurantiosplendens.

It does have quite a close similarity to one of the photos of H.insipida (page 135 in Boertmann's The Genus Hygrocybe 2nd revised edition), which is stated as being widespread, and very variable regarding colour and stature.
Cap reddish orange to orange (yours may be somewhat washed out )
Gills broadly adnate to deeply decurrent.
Stem reddish orange or golden yellow.

Purely a best guess based on photo only - and we all know that's not the right way to try to make an ID.

I think it would be another case of - break out the microscope.

Regards,
Mike.

[diggleken]

Hi Mike,
thanks for that - I've ploughed through Boertmann myself - and Collins,and Jordan and Philips etc -and you may be right.
There are so many variations of a number of Waxcaps at species level, adnate or decurrent, colour shades, sometimes this, sometimes that, I got lost with potential maybe's.
I always thought Waxcaps didnt need microscopy as much as others, but it seems some do, as you say it might be needed in this case, so hey ho, another one lost.
Unless someone has a bright idea or is experienced enough to know?
Cheers
Ken

[SheffieldLass]

Hygrocybe laeta?

Melanie

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Hygrocybe laeta?

Melanie

now that's interesting, Melanie . . . . I wondered about what I could see of the gill-edge and thought of laeta, but chickened out because people like you have spent much more time looking at waxcaps than I have recently, and also because I wasn't sure that what appears to be a gelatinous gill-edge wasn't just an optical illusion - but if you're thinking that too . . . .

Chris

[diggleken]

Laeta is quite possible - I have them quite frequently there - but none this big, it was about 2'' cap width, which is fine, but never seen them that large at this site.
I didnt notice any striations either, but as said, didnt look too closely and you can see some striate markings at the edge a bit in the shot.
So, all in all, taking individual variations and wear into account, I think thats what we have here as nothing else really comes close.
Thanks for that Melanie, and Chris.
Cheers
Ken

[SheffieldLass]

I 've had them that size. I've noticed that of the fungi I've found over the last few days that have been frozen solid quite a few have also been bigger than usual. Maybe something to do with the weather just before the frosts?

Also the frost does change the appearance of fungi quite considerably, certainly the finer details like cap surface, striations etc, colour etc. When I've collected some in the last few days, I've thought I know what they are, at least to genus level, and but when I've checked them they've turned out to be something else ... Something looking like a Galerina was ... well still got to sort that one out, but microscopically looks like a Psathyrella though the spore colour doesn't seem to be right ... but certainly not a Conocybe or Pholiotina ... another looking just like a Conocybe was an Inocybe, that gave me quite a surprise ... and some nice yellowish gilled Tricholoma type fungi which I thought ought to be easy .. well I think I've drawn a blank on them too.. I don't really trust the colours of the cap or the textures of any of them, so even if I fit micro features I'm not confident about the macro features. And the frost seems to kill off their smells too, but when they defrost they seem to fast track into badly rotten specimens with that all pervading rotten fungi smell, so that's no use either.

Maybe it is time to start rootling amongst the beech cupules and pine needle litter instead, forget the bigger things for a while ...

Melanie

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Hygrocybe laeta....

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

now that's interesting, Melanie.....but if you're thinking that too . . . .

Originally Posted by diggleken

Laeta is quite possible.....

Must admit, H.laeta was one of my first thoughts when I saw the photo, but I haven't seen too many of them "in the flesh" and was put off by the photos in Boertmann, and the description "gills +- decurrent, whitish, greyish, or pale greyish violet".

Also with H.laeta, is the one characteristic that does seem to be very diagnostic - its smell. (I'm one of the world's worst when it comes to fungi smells but I can actually recognise that one). I don't suppose that you gave it a quick sniff, Ken?

Regards,
Mike.

Regards,
Mike.

[diggleken]

Smell it?
''I thought it a Meadow Waxcap at first - it was on open moorland and I was frozen at 1300 ft yesterday, so in a hurry!''
Err, no Mike!
Past experience of their size there also ruled it out, but let that be a lesson to me.
Cheers all
Ken

[SheffieldLass]

I've never noticed a particular smell to H laeta. The three things that usually stand out (but all three can be missing) are:
- the very viscid cap and stipe, and the gill edge also. But I've seen very dried up ones (which tend to go become quite a deep pink colour (rather like Gomphideus roseus)
- a jade to mauve colour to the gills/top of stem, quite distinctive
- a pinkish colour to the cap with overtones of yellow/brown giving it a murky sort of colour. But I've seem some attractive rather pink ones and some rather golden ones and some rather brown ones ....

Here are some from an earlier thread ...

3 cemeterywaxcaps

Melanie