Scarlet waxcap - Hygocybe coccinea
- The Foraging Course Company
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Edible mushroom - intermediate Season - autumn to winter Common names Scarlet waxcap, righteous red waxycap, red waxcap, scarlet hood
Scientific name meaning: The genus name comes from the Greek words hyrgos, meaning wet. The Latin word coccineus, meaning scarlet or red, is the origin of the species name
Habitat  The scarlet waxcap is a grassland mushroom and particularly likes cut or grazed grass that has not been treated with lots of fertiliser. It is often found in areas where lots of springy turf moss (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus) and ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) is present. |
Overall structure and growth  Thought to be saprobic for a long time, it is now thought this mushroom has a mycorrhizal endophytic (living within) relationship with ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata). It can be found as individual specimens or in large numbers. Can get to decent sizes if enough rain has fallen. |
Cap  The cap starts off a deep red colour, turning orange and gaining a yellow rim with age. Starting off convex, often with a broad umbo (bump) it flattens with age, sometimes depressing in the centre. The cap is 2 to 5cm wide, feels greasy to the touch and can be slimy when young. |
Gills and spores  The gills are adnexed (narrowly attached to the stem) and fairly well spaced. They are interspersed with smaller gills from the cap edge. They start of red-orange with yellow edges becoming paler and almost white as they age. The spore colour is white. |
Stem  The stem is delicate, cylindrical, 3 to6cm tall and 0.5 to 0.8mm wide. It is red at the top, going through orange and eventually yellow tones towards the base. It has no ring or skirt. |
Flesh, taste and smell  The flesh is red-orange to yellowish and more yellow toned in the stem. The smell and taste are mild. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with any of the other red wax caps. However, these are all edible (please see use as food as many waxcaps are rare). Could also be confused with the inedible blackening waxcap (Hygrocybe conica), pictured, but this turns black where damaged. |
Use as food Although the scarlet waxcap is a considered a good tasting edible, habitat destruction means this is now a rare mushroom. Because of this, collection for consumption is discouraged Hazards This mushroom can grow on roadside grass verges where it can accumulate traffic-related toxins. It is advisable to avoid harvesting from the sides of busy roads
Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Provides food for a the larvae of a number of invertebrates
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!
Comments