#waxcaps

Fast Fauna Facts #2 - Parrot Waxcap (Gliophorus psittacinus)

Family: Waxcap Family (Hygrophoraceae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Unassessed

Young mushrooms of this species have yellow stems and bright green, slime-covered caps, although as they mature the caps typically become pale yellow or orangey-red in colour and dry out somewhat (although most remain somewhat slimy even when mature.) Common in both woodlands and grasslands across much of Eurasia and also occasionally spotted in Australia, the subterranean main body of this fungus is believed to gain nutrients by connecting its hyphae to the roots of nearby plants and exchanging hard-to-absorb soil nutrients for photosynthetically produced sugars in a mutualistic partnership, although exactly which species of plants Parrot Waxcaps partner with is currently unknown. The mushrooms of this species are theoretically safe for human consumption, although a combination of their slimy texture, small size and bland taste means that they're rarely actually eaten.

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