Can you eat Hygrocybe coccinea?

The Scarlet Waxcap is generally regarded as edible, but eating them is not the best way of enjoying these lovely waxcaps.

Can you eat waxcaps?

It is probably fortunate that waxcaps aren’t the tastiest of mushrooms, but they can make a decent and colourful addition to any mushroom dish. I have enjoyed them flambeed in calvados with hedgehog mushrooms and paprika, quickly sauteed and mixed (colours intact) through couscous and pilafs.

Is pink Waxcap edible?

Some authorities list the Pink Waxcap as edible, but as these wild grassland fungi are still so scarce it would be quite unforgivable to gather them for eating.

Where do waxcaps grow?

All these species can be found here in California in the coastal redwood forests and Monterey cypress plantations in great numbers. Though waxcap species grow in the California forests, they also can be found in grasslands.

Is Hygrocybe conica edible?

Despite its small size and being coated in a sticky substance, Hygrocybe conica is edible. However, there is a report of poisoning from China in the early part of the 20th century which was allegedly from this species.

Is blackening Waxcap poisonous?

It is classed as edible and sometimes as inedible or poisonous from different references. But it is not deadly, and I’m guessing – not very palatable. It’s just best for looking at, which is good because it’s so good looking… Very common Waxcap, found in field or woodland grass.

What is Hygrocybe coccinea?

Hygrocybe coccinea, sometimes called the scarlet hood, scarlet waxcap or righteous red waxy cap, is a colourful member of the mushroom genus Hygrocybe. These waxcaps are found across the Northern Hemisphere from China and Japan to Europe and North America.

Why is the genus Hygrocybe so named?

The genus Hygrocybe is so named because fungi in this group are always very moist. Hygrocybe means ‘watery head’. As is the case with the food coloring ‘cochineal’, the specific epithet coccinea means ‘bright red’, and the fresh young mushrooms showed on the left provide all the evidence needed to justify this description.

What does a Hygrocybe coccinea fruit look like?

Initially the cap colour is blood red, but as the fruitbody matures its cap fades slowly through orange to yellowish from the edge. Although they tend to be slimy when young, the caps of Hygrocybe coccinea are not usually viscid when fully expanded. The cap flesh is orange.

Is Hygrophorus coccineus the same as Hygrocybe punicea?

It is very similar to Hygrocybe punicea, but that species is slightly larger, and features narrowly attached, “notched” gills, along with a stem that becomes stringy. Hygrophorus coccineus is a synonym.