Hygrocybe calyptriformis
Encyclopedia
Hygrocybe calyptriformis is a species
of agaric
(gilled mushroom) in the family
Hygrophoraceae
. It has been given the recommended English name of Pink Waxcap in the UK. The species has a north temperate distribution, occurring in grassland in Europe and in woodland in North America and northern Asia. It typically produces basidiocarps (fruit bodies) in the autumn. In many European countries, H. calyptriformis is of conservation concern, appearing on national red lists of threatened fungi.
as Agaricus calyptraeformis (so spelt), based on specimens he collected locally in England. In 1889, Swiss mycologist Victor Fayod
moved it to the genus
Hygrocybe
. The specific epithet comes from Greek
καλὐπτρα (= a woman's veil) + Latin
forma (= shape), hence "veil-shaped".
Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, suggests that Hygrocybe calyptriformis does not belong in Hygrocybe sensu stricto and should be moved to another genus. In 2008, Bresinsky proposed the genus Porpolomopsis to accommodate the species, but as yet (2011) this has not been widely adopted.
when expanded, up to 75mm (3in) across, often splitting when expanded, the margins turning upwards. The cap surface is smooth to fibrillose, slightly shiny or greasy, pale rose-pink to lilac-pink (rarely white). The lamellae (gills) are widely spaced, waxy, cap-coloured or whiter. The stipe
(stem) is smooth, white to pale cap-coloured, lacking a ring. The spore print
is white, the spores (under a microscope) smooth, inamyloid
, ellipsoid, c. 6.5 to 8.0 by 4.5 to 5.5μm.
The species can normally be distinguished in the field, thanks to its shape and colour. No other north temperate waxcap is pink with a pointed cap.
, a declining habitat due to changing agricultural practices. As a result, the species is of regional conservation concern and is one of 33 larger fungi proposed for international protection under the Bern Convention
. Hygrocybe calyptriformis also appears on the official or provisional national red lists of threatened fungi in several European countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany (Bavaria), Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland. In 2008, the Pink Waxcap was featured on a postage stamp issued by the Republic of Ireland.
In the United Kingdom, Hygrocybe calyptriformis was originally placed on the provisional red list of fungi (Ing, 1992) and made the subject of a Biodiversity Action Plan
. Increased publicity and interest in waxcap grasslands, however, produced a commensurate increase in records of the species. By 2006, it had been recorded from over 360 hectads. As a result, the pink waxcap was deemed to be not uncommon in the United Kingdom and was consequently removed from the current (2006) red list and from the current list of BAP species.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of agaric
Agaric
An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...
(gilled mushroom) in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Hygrophoraceae
Hygrophoraceae
The Hygrophoraceae are a family of fungi in the order Agaricales. Originally conceived as containing white-spored, thick-gilled agarics , including Hygrophorus and Hygrocybe species , DNA evidence has extended the limits of the family, so that it now contains not only agarics but also...
. It has been given the recommended English name of Pink Waxcap in the UK. The species has a north temperate distribution, occurring in grassland in Europe and in woodland in North America and northern Asia. It typically produces basidiocarps (fruit bodies) in the autumn. In many European countries, H. calyptriformis is of conservation concern, appearing on national red lists of threatened fungi.
Taxonomy
The species was first described in 1838 by the Rev. Miles Joseph BerkeleyMiles Joseph Berkeley
Miles Joseph Berkeley was an English cryptogamist and clergyman, and one of the founders of the science of plant pathology....
as Agaricus calyptraeformis (so spelt), based on specimens he collected locally in England. In 1889, Swiss mycologist Victor Fayod
Victor Fayod
Victor Fayod was a Swiss mycologist. He is credited with the first description of the mushroom Cystoderma amianthinum. He studied in Lausanne and Zurich. Fayod first worked with Heinrich Anton de Bary in Strasbourg from 1881 to 1882, then as a tutor. He also assisted French bacteriologist André...
moved it to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Hygrocybe
Hygrocybe
Hygrocybe is a genus of agarics in the family Hygrophoraceae. Called "waxcaps" in English , basidiocarps are often brightly coloured and have waxy to slimy caps, white spores, and smooth, ringless stems...
. The specific epithet comes from Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
καλὐπτρα (= a woman's veil) + Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
forma (= shape), hence "veil-shaped".
Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, suggests that Hygrocybe calyptriformis does not belong in Hygrocybe sensu stricto and should be moved to another genus. In 2008, Bresinsky proposed the genus Porpolomopsis to accommodate the species, but as yet (2011) this has not been widely adopted.
Description
Basidiocarps are agaricoid, up to 125mm (5in) tall, the cap narrowly conical at first, retaining an acute umboUmbo (mycology)
thumb|right|[[Cantharellula umbonata]] has an umbo.thumb|right|The cap of [[Psilocybe makarorae]] is acutely papillate.An umbo is a raised area in the center of a mushroom cap. Caps that possess this feature are called umbonate. Umbos that are sharply pointed are called acute, while those that are...
when expanded, up to 75mm (3in) across, often splitting when expanded, the margins turning upwards. The cap surface is smooth to fibrillose, slightly shiny or greasy, pale rose-pink to lilac-pink (rarely white). The lamellae (gills) are widely spaced, waxy, cap-coloured or whiter. The stipe
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
(stem) is smooth, white to pale cap-coloured, lacking a ring. The spore print
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is white, the spores (under a microscope) smooth, inamyloid
Amyloid (mycology)
In mycology the term amyloid refers to a crude chemical test using iodine in either Melzer's reagent or Lugol's solution, to produce a black to blue-black positive reaction. It is called amyloid because starch gives a similar reaction, and that reaction for starch is also called an amyloid reaction...
, ellipsoid, c. 6.5 to 8.0 by 4.5 to 5.5μm.
The species can normally be distinguished in the field, thanks to its shape and colour. No other north temperate waxcap is pink with a pointed cap.
Distribution and habitat
The Pink Waxcap is widespread throughout the north temperate zone, occurring in Europe, North America, and northern Asia. Like other waxcaps, it occurs in old, unimproved, short-sward grassland (pastures and lawns) in Europe, but in woodland in North America and Asia. Recent research suggests waxcaps are neither mycorrhizal nor saprotrophic but may be associated with mosses.Conservation
In Europe, Hygrocybe calyptriformis is typical of waxcap grasslandsWaxcap grassland
Waxcap grassland is a term used to describe short-sward, nutrient-poor grasslands supporting rich assemblages of larger fungi, particularly waxcaps , characteristic of such habitats. Waxcap grasslands occur principally in Europe, where they are declining as a result of agricultural practices...
, a declining habitat due to changing agricultural practices. As a result, the species is of regional conservation concern and is one of 33 larger fungi proposed for international protection under the Bern Convention
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats
The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979, also known as the Bern Convention , came into force on June 1, 1982....
. Hygrocybe calyptriformis also appears on the official or provisional national red lists of threatened fungi in several European countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany (Bavaria), Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland. In 2008, the Pink Waxcap was featured on a postage stamp issued by the Republic of Ireland.
In the United Kingdom, Hygrocybe calyptriformis was originally placed on the provisional red list of fungi (Ing, 1992) and made the subject of a Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
. Increased publicity and interest in waxcap grasslands, however, produced a commensurate increase in records of the species. By 2006, it had been recorded from over 360 hectads. As a result, the pink waxcap was deemed to be not uncommon in the United Kingdom and was consequently removed from the current (2006) red list and from the current list of BAP species.