About this fungus
Persistent Waxcap is a fungus in the Hygrophoraceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A slender yellow to orange waxcap with a sharply conical or bell-shaped cap that often retains its point as it expands.
What to check
Look for thick, widely spaced pale yellow to orange gills, a smooth ringless stem and no blackening after handling or with age. The cap may be slightly greasy when damp. Use the full combination because several waxcaps share the same colours.
Variation
Colour ranges from yellow to orange, sometimes with a red-orange centre. Old caps may split or turn upwards at the margin but normally do not blacken. Regional authors differ over how broadly to define this species.
Lookalikes
Blackening Waxcap and related species darken after bruising or with age, unlike this species. Other yellow waxcaps can be very similar, and some collections need microscopy or regional keys.
Habitat and range
Reported from nutrient-poor grassland in Europe and from soil in hardwood woodland in North America. This regional ecological difference may partly reflect differing species concepts.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Tommi Nummelin / CC BY-SA 3.0