About this fungus
Butter Waxcap is a fungus in the Hygrophoraceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A small butter-yellow to orange-yellow waxcap of short grass, with a cap that looks waxy or slightly sticky when damp but is not heavily slimy.
What to check
Look for a smooth yellow cap with a faintly lined margin, broad pale yellow gills attached to the stem or running only slightly down it, and a slender yellow to orange stem. The spore print is white, with no ring or volva.
Variation
The cap is often darker orange-yellow at the centre and paler at the edge. Rain and age can leave it paler and less glossy.
Lookalikes
Hygrocybe chlorophana is usually larger and more distinctly slimy when wet. Gliophorus laetus has greyer, more strongly decurrent gills. Several small yellow waxcaps overlap, so size, gill attachment and cap texture should be considered together.
Habitat and range
Usually found in nutrient-poor, long-established grassland, including lawns, parkland, cemeteries and fixed dunes. Waxcap ecology remains incompletely understood, and the species is not restricted to acidic soil.
Food safety
Edible.
Use this profile to learn what to examine and compare, not as proof that a mushroom is safe to eat. Check the whole specimen and every important lookalike before reaching an identification.
Species to compare
Similar mushrooms to compare against: