Hygrophorus

Notes

Hygrophorus is one of the wax-gill mushrooms, a group of small, mostly brightly-coloured, saprobic, soil-inhabiting fungi which have brittle flesh with a waxy feel when crushed between the fingers. The main genera of wax-gills are Hygrophorus, Humidicutis, Hygrocybe and Gliophorus. Hygrophorus species are typically dull in colour. Gliophorus is recognised by the thick glutinous coating over the surface, the caps of Humidicutis are characteristically deeply split at the sides, the other genera distinguished on the basis of microscopic features of hyphae in the gills and the cap. Gills broadly attached to stalk or extending down the stalk, no ring on stalk. Spore print white.
There are about 10 species reported from New Zealand, but some of the names are old and of doubtful value. Most species are rather dull in colour and known from very few collections.

 

NameImageGoogle
Images		NZFungi Entry

Hygrophorus waikanaensis
An endemic New Zealand species.

Hygrophorus salmonipes
Gills extending down stalk.