Hygrophorus chrysodon

Hygrophorus chrysodon
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Hygrophoraceae
Genus:	Hygrophorus
Species:	H. chrysodon
Binomial name
Hygrophorus chrysodon (Batsch) Fr., 1838

Hygrophorus chrysodon, commonly known as the flaky waxy cap, ^[1] or gold flecked woodwax ^[2] is a species of fungus in the genus Hygrophorus . ^[3] The species is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is edible but bland in taste.

Etymology

The specific epithet chrysodon is Greek for 'golden tooth', a reference to the species' gold-hued granules or hairs, which are found on the cap (especially near the edge), stipe, and gills. ^[4]

Description

The fruit bodies are white, sometimes with a tinge of yellow. ^[4] The caps reach 4–14 centimetres (1+1⁄2–5+1⁄2 inches), with gills subdecurrent to decurrent. ^[5] The stalk is 3–10 cm long. ^[6]

The flesh is soft and white, with a mild to bitter taste. The spore print is white. ^[7]

Similar species

Lookalikes in the genus include the uncommon H. discoxanthus . ^[7]

Distribution and habitat

The species is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere ^[4] on the ground, with moss, and under conifers or other hardwood trees. ^[7]

Uses

It is edible but bland in taste. ^{[8] [9]}

References

1. Thiers, Harry D.; Arora, David (September 1980). "Mushrooms Demystified" . Mycologia. 72 (5): 1054. doi:10.2307/3759750. ISSN   0027-5514.
2. https://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/field_mycology/english-names
3. "Hygrophorus chrysodon (Batsch) Fr". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
4. Trudell, Steve; Ammirati, Joe (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, OR: Timber Press. pp. 67–68. ISBN   978-0-88192-935-5.
5. Siegel, Noah; Schwarz, Christian (2016). Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. p. 272. ISBN   9781607748175.
6. Arora, David (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. p. 119. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
7. Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 402. ISBN   978-0-593-31998-7.
8. Phillips, Roger (2010) [2005]. Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America . Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p.  84. ISBN   978-1-55407-651-2.
9. Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuide. p. 68. ISBN   978-0-7627-3109-1.