Herald of Winter - Hygrophorus hypothejus
Herald of Winter - Hygrophorus hypothejus
Edible mushroom - intermediate identification
Other common names: Winter Wax Cap, Late Fall Wax Cap
Scientific name meaning: Originating from the Greek Hygros, meaning moist or wet, and phoreus, meaning a bearer. And, Hypo, meaning below, and Theion, meaning brimstone.
Spore print: White
Habitat and season
Mycorrhizal with Pine (Pinus spp), and rarely broad leaf trees. It fruits in late Autumn and Winter
Growth and appearance
Herald of Winter can appear as solitary mushrooms or in small groups or troops. It emerges from the ground underneath Pines. It has a glutinous universal veil and fragile partial veil when first emerging
Cap
The brown cap starts off convex or bell-shaped. When mature, the 3 - 5cm wide cap can be flat, slightly depressed or even funnel-like, and can have a small central umbo (bump). The cap margin is slightly in rolled and can retain veil fragments when young. When wet, the cap is slimy, but greasy or sticky when dry.
Gills
Starting off white, then turning pale yellow and pale yellow-brown with age, the gills are distant. They are broadly adnate to decurrent
Stem
The sometimes curved stem is 3 - 7cm long and 0.5 - 1.5cm wide. It is white to pale yellow, and sometimes tinted with orange, and often more deeply coloured at the apex. The apex area is also fibrous and the stem narrows here. There is sometimes a ring zone visible when young. Like the cap, it can be greasy or slimy
Flesh, taste and smell
The flesh is white to pale yellow, especially towards the outer edges. The smell and taste are not distinctive
Possible lookalikes
Could be confused for the Date Waxcap (Hygrocybe spadicea). However, this is a grassland mushroom. Although not poisonous, it is a Red Data List species and should not be collected for consumption. Also, the Slimy Spike (Gomphidius glutinosus), but this has off white gills and a grey/black ring zone and also edible
Edible uses Must be cooked
Hazards Slime on mushrooms is often associated with gastric upset, so removal of the slime before preparing for eating is recommended
Other uses None known
Use in medicine None known. Please let us know if you know of any
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner
Importance to other species None known. Please let us know if you know of any
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!