About this fungus
Black-fibrilled Waxcap is a fungus in the Hygrophoraceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A brightly coloured forest waxcap with obvious black fibres radiating over the cap.
What to check
Confirm progressive blackening across cap, gills and stem, black cap fibrils and clear watery fluid from cut flesh.
Variation
Young fruit bodies may be red, orange or yellow before blackening obscures much of the colour.
Lookalikes
The Hygrocybe conica group also blackens but usually lacks the same strong radial black fibrils and forest-litter combination.
Habitat and range
Reported from humid forest litter and moss in eastern Australia, Tasmania and Madagascar. It is not a globally interchangeable name for every blackening waxcap.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Photo: Zac T. · CC BY 4.0