Hygrocybe coccinea
Hygrocybe coccinea
Hygrocybe coccinea, in English Scarlet Waxcap (Hygrocybe coccinea (Schaeff .: Fr.) Kummer) is a basidiomycete belonging to the Hygrophoraceae family.
Systematic –
From the systematic point of view it belongs to the Eukaryota Domain, Kingdom Fungi, Basidiomycota Division, Basidiomycetes Class, Order Agaricales, Family Hygrophoraceae and then to the Genus Hygrocybe and to the H. Coccinea Species.
Etymology –
The term Hygrocybe comes from the Greek ὐγρός hygrόs moist and from κύβη cýbe head, hat: with the wet hat. The specific coccinea epithet comes from cóccinus scarlet: for its scarlet color.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Hygrocybe coccinea is a fungus that grows gregarious during the autumn period in wet meadows and pastures and in clearings especially in mountain forests.
Recognition –
The Hygrocybe coccinea is recognized for its hat, the size of 2-5 cm in diameter, campanulate, not very fleshy, of an intense red-cherry or blood-red color, not very slimy. The lamellas have a cherry or orange red color, yellowish on the cutting edge; spaced, adnate or decurrent on the stem with a tooth. The stem is cylindrical, often compressed, hollow, smooth, of the same color as the hat, but with shades more yellow towards the base, it is 3-8 cm long and 5-8 mm thick. The flesh is yellowish-red, watery, fragile, with a pleasant fungal smell and a mild and delicate taste. Under the microscope there are white spores in mass, elliptic or oval, of 8-10 x 4-5 μm; the basidia are tetrasporic.
Cultivation –
Hygrocybe coccinea is not a cultivated mushroom.
Uses and Traditions –
It is a rather common fungus and easy to identify because of the bright red color of the carpophore. Possible similarities are found with Hygrocybe miniata (Fr. Fr.) P. Kumm., Which has more orange tones, Hygrocybe punicea (Fr. Fr.) P. Kumm. which has a very conical hat, very orange blades, an entirely orange stem, Hygrocybe reidii Kühner, which has a wavy yellow margin and a yellow two-tone smooth shank at the bottom which is more and more orange towards the top.
This mushroom in some regions are called hats of colored wax, due to the characteristic greasy and brilliant appearance of the cuticle.
Although of small size and therefore of rather poor yield, many seekers collect it anyway to consume it in the mixed. In any case, the collection is not recommended for the less experienced as it could be confused with dangerous small and reddish or ocher-brick red cortinari.
It is a fungus of good edibility but very low yield, so it is advisable to consume it in the mixture.
Preparation Mode –
The Hygrocybe coccinea, both for the consistency of the meat and for the very poor yield, if it has been harvested, and you are sure of its identification, can be consumed in mixed mushrooms and in various preparations.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Cetto B., 2008. Real mushrooms, Saturnia, Trento.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (edited by), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only and do not in any way represent a medical prescription; there is therefore no liability for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.