About Hygrocybe splendidissima (P.D.Orton) M.M.Moser
Basidiocarps of Hygrocybe splendidissima are agaricoid and grow up to 10 cm (4 in) tall. The cap is conical to convex when young, and either retains a broad umbo or becomes flat once fully expanded, reaching up to 7 cm (2+3⁄4 in) across. The cap surface is smooth and dry, colored deep scarlet, and becomes paler when it dries out. The lamellae, or gills, have a waxy texture and match the cap's color or are orange. The stipe, or stem, is smooth, also matches the cap's color or is orange, and does not have a ring. The spore print of this species is white. Under a microscope, spores are smooth, inamyloid, and ellipsoid, measuring around 7.5 to 9.0 by 4.5 to 5.5 μm. When fruit bodies are rubbed or drying, they give off a distinct honey smell. In terms of distribution and habitat, the splendid waxcap is widespread but generally rare across Europe, with the largest populations found in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Like other waxcaps, it grows in old, agriculturally unimproved, short-sward grassland such as pastures and lawns. Recent research indicates that waxcaps are neither mycorrhizal nor saprotrophic, and may instead be associated with mosses.
