Snowy Waxcap

Appearance

Basidiocarps are agaricoid, up to 75 mm tall, the cap convex at first, becoming flat or slightly depressed when expanded, up to 75 mm across. The cap surface is smooth, waxy when damp, hygrophanous and somewhat translucent with a striate margin, white to ivory. The lamellae are waxy, cap-coloured, and decurrent. The stipe is smooth, cylindrical or tapering to the base, cap-coloured, and waxy when damp. The spore print is white, the spores smooth, inamyloid, ellipsoid, about 7.0 to 8.5 by 4.5 to 5.0 μm.

The species is sometimes parasitized by the mould "Paecilomyces marquandii", which colours the lamellae violet.

Naming

"Hygrocybe russocoriacea" is very similar in appearance, but can be distinguished in the field by its strong smell of sandalwood. "Hygrocybe berkeleyi" is also similar, but fruit bodies are typically larger and non-hygrophanous.

Distribution

The snowy waxcap is widespread throughout the north temperate zone, occurring in Europe, North America, and northern Asia, and has also been recorded from Australia. Like other waxcaps, it grows in old, unimproved, short-sward grassland in Europe, but in woodland elsewhere. Recent research suggests waxcaps are neither mycorrhizal nor saprotrophic but may be associated with mosses.

Status

In Europe, "Cuphophyllus virgineus" is typical of waxcap grasslands, a declining habitat due to changing agricultural practices. "Cuphophyllus virgineus" is one of the commonest species in the genus and is not considered to be of conservation concern. In 1997, the species was featured on a postage stamp issued by the Faeroe Islands.

Habitat

The snowy waxcap is widespread throughout the north temperate zone, occurring in Europe, North America, and northern Asia, and has also been recorded from Australia. Like other waxcaps, it grows in old, unimproved, short-sward grassland in Europe, but in woodland elsewhere. Recent research suggests waxcaps are neither mycorrhizal nor saprotrophic but may be associated with mosses.