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(Hygrocybe coccinea) (Schaeff.: Fr) P. Kumm.

                ©Per Fadnes

Hygrocybe coccinea is a medium-sized clearly red waxcap with a lubricous cap, a dry and smooth stem and broadly adnate gills.  It often grows many together in clusters and can be very numerous when it first occurs.

Characteristics:

Cap	Gills	Stipe	Similar species
Up to 60mm, Blood-red, Lubricous to viscid (rain) Bell-shaped later applanate +/- umbo Form variable	Broadly adnate +/- decurrent with tooth Reddish with yellow edge. Seldom yellow.	Up to 70x6mm, Dry, smooth often with  silky sheen Color like cap but paler. On large species depressed, with longitudinal groove.	H. punicea but it has narrowly adnate gills and a fibrillose stem H. splendidissima but it has narrowly adnate gills and smells honey. Normally larger.

Ecology/Indicatorvalue:

H. coccinea is a  relatively common waxcap in grasslands and can occur in great numbers. It has limited indicatorvalue and does not seem to have any special preferences conscerning soil and geology.

Fructification in Norway: From medio July to beginning of December, mainly in September.

Redlistcategory: Not listed

Distributionmap

References:

David Boertmann.2010, The genus Hygrocybe, 2nd revised edition. Fungi of

Northern Europe vol. 1 Svampetryk, Danmark.