Crimson waxcap

What it is

Hygrocybe punicea is a waxcap, a gilled mushroom of short grassland with a waxy, brightly coloured cap. It grows in unimproved grassland, and the catalogue describes it as a grassland fungus whose nutritional ecology is complex.

Its habitat is old, agriculturally unimproved short-sward grassland. It cannot persist on fertilised grassland, and its decline in Europe is tied to changes in agricultural practice. Occasional woodland records exist, and North American records need study to confirm they are the same species.

Rarity and protection

The species is rare and threatened across Europe. Latvia classes it as Critically Endangered, North Macedonia's national Red List rates it Endangered at two sites, and Croatia treats it as strictly protected. Several other countries, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany and Sweden, list it on national red lists of threatened fungi. A Wild Food UK guide gives its global IUCN status as Vulnerable with a decreasing population.

Food status and safety

The catalogue records a traditional cooked mushroom. The sources disagree. Svampguiden lists it as edible with a mild taste, best mixed with stronger mushrooms. A Latvian conservation page notes that some countries list it as edible but advises against eating it, because waxcaps can accumulate cadmium. Wild Food UK calls it edible but says it is better admired and photographed unless found in large numbers, and it records North American reports of gastric upset, with none yet from Europe. Wikipedia-derived listings mark it not recommended.

Given its rarity and these conflicting statements, this page does not recommend eating the species, and it does not establish that any collection is safe. Because it is protected in several countries, the legal position of picking it also needs checking locally.