@mattrjones.bsky.social
Botanist/Ecologist based in north west England. Botany got me hooked but now Interested in all groups.
Exploring some really fabulous grasslands in Ireland at the moment. Particularly stunned by the abundance of splendidissma and nitrata at some sites! Colemannianus is also pretty abundant as many of the grasslands are on limestone.
November 13, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Exploring some really fabulous grasslands in Ireland at the moment. Particularly stunned by the abundance of splendidissma and nitrata at some sites! Colemannianus is also pretty abundant as many of the grasslands are on limestone.
Waxcap 31 - Butter Waxcap (Hygrocybe ceracea). Similar to Golden can be yellow to orange and variable in size. However, Butter typically has an eye and striations on the cap. The key feature to separate from Golden is the gill attachment.
November 13, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Waxcap 31 - Butter Waxcap (Hygrocybe ceracea). Similar to Golden can be yellow to orange and variable in size. However, Butter typically has an eye and striations on the cap. The key feature to separate from Golden is the gill attachment.
Waxcap 30 - Butterscotch Waxcap (Gliophorus europerplexus) 😍 Previously in the perplexus agg. A browny beige species. Chunkier and less viscid than sciophanus. Different colours to Parrot or Jubilee. Incredibly rare.
November 12, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Waxcap 30 - Butterscotch Waxcap (Gliophorus europerplexus) 😍 Previously in the perplexus agg. A browny beige species. Chunkier and less viscid than sciophanus. Different colours to Parrot or Jubilee. Incredibly rare.
Waxcap 29 - Honey Waxcap (Hygrocybe reidii). A common orange species, the cap usually has a pale yellow and crenulated edge. When crushed the stipe has a slightly sweet smell. The cap often fades a silvery cracked texture and can look as if squamulose.
November 11, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Waxcap 29 - Honey Waxcap (Hygrocybe reidii). A common orange species, the cap usually has a pale yellow and crenulated edge. When crushed the stipe has a slightly sweet smell. The cap often fades a silvery cracked texture and can look as if squamulose.
Waxcap 28 - Limestone Waxcap (Hygrocybe calciphila). A small orange species with a finely squamulose cap. Only found on calcareous substrates. All the small squamulose species are better confirmed with microscopy.
November 10, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Waxcap 28 - Limestone Waxcap (Hygrocybe calciphila). A small orange species with a finely squamulose cap. Only found on calcareous substrates. All the small squamulose species are better confirmed with microscopy.
Waxcap 27 - Spangle Waxcap (Hygrocybe insipda). A pretty variable species but has an eye and strong striations on the cap, usually alternating red and yellow towards the cap edge. Stipe is wet and often red above. Lack of taste separates from Bitter and stem being wet rather sticky from Glutinous.
November 9, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Waxcap 27 - Spangle Waxcap (Hygrocybe insipda). A pretty variable species but has an eye and strong striations on the cap, usually alternating red and yellow towards the cap edge. Stipe is wet and often red above. Lack of taste separates from Bitter and stem being wet rather sticky from Glutinous.
Waxcap 26 - Grey Waxcap (Cuphophyllus lacmus). A beautiful and uncommon species. The decurrent gills are a smoky grey and the cap a very stunning lilac grey. The cap often has some striations.
November 8, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Waxcap 26 - Grey Waxcap (Cuphophyllus lacmus). A beautiful and uncommon species. The decurrent gills are a smoky grey and the cap a very stunning lilac grey. The cap often has some striations.
Waxcap 25 - Bitter Waxcap (Hygrocybe mucronella). Like a larger redder Spangle. The cap is extremely bitter tasting, sometimes chewing a bit is necessary to get the taste but usually just touching the cap with your tongue is enough!
November 7, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Waxcap 25 - Bitter Waxcap (Hygrocybe mucronella). Like a larger redder Spangle. The cap is extremely bitter tasting, sometimes chewing a bit is necessary to get the taste but usually just touching the cap with your tongue is enough!
Waxcap 24 - Snowy Waxcap (Cuphophyllus virgineus). Our commonest white species. Very variable and multiple named forms but always with strongly decurrent gills and no obvious smell.
November 6, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Waxcap 24 - Snowy Waxcap (Cuphophyllus virgineus). Our commonest white species. Very variable and multiple named forms but always with strongly decurrent gills and no obvious smell.
Waxcap 23 - Splendid Waxcap (Hygrocybe splendidissma). Probably the most exciting of the big reds. Stipe is chunky and often contorted, can be red or yellow. The dry cap is probably the best feature but this can be difficult to tell in wet weather.
November 5, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Waxcap 23 - Splendid Waxcap (Hygrocybe splendidissma). Probably the most exciting of the big reds. Stipe is chunky and often contorted, can be red or yellow. The dry cap is probably the best feature but this can be difficult to tell in wet weather.
Waxcap 22 - Garlic Waxcap (Hygrocybe helobia). A small red squamulose species. Usually quite early fruiting. Microscopy generally needed for certainty on these as a few similar species. Has a supposed garlic smell.
November 4, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Waxcap 22 - Garlic Waxcap (Hygrocybe helobia). A small red squamulose species. Usually quite early fruiting. Microscopy generally needed for certainty on these as a few similar species. Has a supposed garlic smell.
Waxcap 21 - Oily Waxcap (Hygrocybe quieta). Often a chunky thing, cap orange or yellow but usually faded to a pallid shiny yellow. Gills salmon pink or orange and with a strong smell of an oily rag. Stipe is orange, chunky and often contorted.
November 3, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Waxcap 21 - Oily Waxcap (Hygrocybe quieta). Often a chunky thing, cap orange or yellow but usually faded to a pallid shiny yellow. Gills salmon pink or orange and with a strong smell of an oily rag. Stipe is orange, chunky and often contorted.
Waxcap 20 - Jubilee Waxcap (Gliophorus reginae). One of our rarest species and an absolute stunner 😍 Only named in 2012 and from a British specimen, the name comes from it then being the Jubilee. Colours differ from Parrot and gill attachment from Heath. Only in our best unimproved grasslands.
November 2, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Waxcap 20 - Jubilee Waxcap (Gliophorus reginae). One of our rarest species and an absolute stunner 😍 Only named in 2012 and from a British specimen, the name comes from it then being the Jubilee. Colours differ from Parrot and gill attachment from Heath. Only in our best unimproved grasslands.
Waxcap 19 - Cedarwood Waxcap (Cuphophyllus russocoriaceus). A small buff species with decurrent gills. Difficult to separate from buff forms of Snowy, however this species has a strong and pleasant smell. It's described as smelling like pencil shavings or russian leather.
November 1, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Waxcap 19 - Cedarwood Waxcap (Cuphophyllus russocoriaceus). A small buff species with decurrent gills. Difficult to separate from buff forms of Snowy, however this species has a strong and pleasant smell. It's described as smelling like pencil shavings or russian leather.
Whoops, missed one. So for Waxcap 17 here's a special one!
Dingy Waxcap (Neohygrocybe ingrata).
A chunky brown/grey species. Has a faint chemical smell and bruises slightly pink. Cap and stipe are dry and the stipe can be pretty bulbous.
Dingy Waxcap (Neohygrocybe ingrata).
A chunky brown/grey species. Has a faint chemical smell and bruises slightly pink. Cap and stipe are dry and the stipe can be pretty bulbous.
October 31, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Whoops, missed one. So for Waxcap 17 here's a special one!
Dingy Waxcap (Neohygrocybe ingrata).
A chunky brown/grey species. Has a faint chemical smell and bruises slightly pink. Cap and stipe are dry and the stipe can be pretty bulbous.
Dingy Waxcap (Neohygrocybe ingrata).
A chunky brown/grey species. Has a faint chemical smell and bruises slightly pink. Cap and stipe are dry and the stipe can be pretty bulbous.
Waxcap 18 - Meadow Waxcap (Cuphophyllus pratensis). One of our larger species. Has a decurrent gill attachment and a gorgeous apricot coloured cap. The cap is usually fairly umbonate.
October 30, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Waxcap 18 - Meadow Waxcap (Cuphophyllus pratensis). One of our larger species. Has a decurrent gill attachment and a gorgeous apricot coloured cap. The cap is usually fairly umbonate.
Waxcap 16 - Citrine Waxcap (Hygrocybe citrinovirens). Generally an early fruiting species. The conical cap and the usually fibrous stipe are a yellowish green. Gills are pale white. Quite a large dry species, occasionally with hints of orange.
October 29, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Waxcap 16 - Citrine Waxcap (Hygrocybe citrinovirens). Generally an early fruiting species. The conical cap and the usually fibrous stipe are a yellowish green. Gills are pale white. Quite a large dry species, occasionally with hints of orange.
Waxcap 15 - Golden Waxcap (Hygrocybe chlorophana). The commonest yellow species. Varies greatly in size and cap can often be quite orange. Adnexed gill attachment is the key feature.
October 28, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Waxcap 15 - Golden Waxcap (Hygrocybe chlorophana). The commonest yellow species. Varies greatly in size and cap can often be quite orange. Adnexed gill attachment is the key feature.
Waxcap 14 - Pale Waxcap (Cuphophyllus berkleyi / C. pratensis var pallida). Switches between full species and a var but it's a clearly distinct taxon worth recording separately. A largish Cuphophyllus with decurrent gills. Lacking the apricot tones of Meadow and the cap has a very chalky texture.
October 27, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Waxcap 14 - Pale Waxcap (Cuphophyllus berkleyi / C. pratensis var pallida). Switches between full species and a var but it's a clearly distinct taxon worth recording separately. A largish Cuphophyllus with decurrent gills. Lacking the apricot tones of Meadow and the cap has a very chalky texture.
A very special species from the Sefton coast. Normally it takes quite a bit of checking Winter Stalkballs to find one but this was the first and only Stalkball I noticed yesterday!
Scaly Stalkball (Tulostoma melanocyclum).
#wildfungihour
Scaly Stalkball (Tulostoma melanocyclum).
#wildfungihour
October 26, 2025 at 9:23 PM
A very special species from the Sefton coast. Normally it takes quite a bit of checking Winter Stalkballs to find one but this was the first and only Stalkball I noticed yesterday!
Scaly Stalkball (Tulostoma melanocyclum).
#wildfungihour
Scaly Stalkball (Tulostoma melanocyclum).
#wildfungihour
Waxcap 13 - Glistening Waxcap (Gloioxanthomyces vitellinus). Our smallest waxcap. Starting a deep beautiful yellow and aging to pure white. The deeply decurrent gills have a thin slime layer along their edge. Usually found in acidic places. #wildfungihour
October 26, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Waxcap 13 - Glistening Waxcap (Gloioxanthomyces vitellinus). Our smallest waxcap. Starting a deep beautiful yellow and aging to pure white. The deeply decurrent gills have a thin slime layer along their edge. Usually found in acidic places. #wildfungihour
An incredible blue Parrot Waxcap (Gliophorus psittacinus) 😍 It's always lovely to see Parrots and the colour variety is astonishing. This is my Parrot highlight of the season for sure. #wildfungihour
October 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
An incredible blue Parrot Waxcap (Gliophorus psittacinus) 😍 It's always lovely to see Parrots and the colour variety is astonishing. This is my Parrot highlight of the season for sure. #wildfungihour
Waxcap 12 - Persistent Waxcap (Hygrocybe acuticonica). A usually dry, conical cap that ranges from yellow to orange. Stem is fibrillose and within the same colour range. Gills are adnexed to free. An early fruiting species, one I see more often on base-rich substrates.
October 25, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Waxcap 12 - Persistent Waxcap (Hygrocybe acuticonica). A usually dry, conical cap that ranges from yellow to orange. Stem is fibrillose and within the same colour range. Gills are adnexed to free. An early fruiting species, one I see more often on base-rich substrates.
Waxcap 11 - Earthy Waxcap (Cuphophyllus fornicatus). Possibly confused from above for a Snowy but the cap is often conical and with a darkened centre. From underneath gill attachment is emarginate so separates from all the decurrent Cuphophyllus. Usually has a strong mealy smelly hence the name.
October 24, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Waxcap 11 - Earthy Waxcap (Cuphophyllus fornicatus). Possibly confused from above for a Snowy but the cap is often conical and with a darkened centre. From underneath gill attachment is emarginate so separates from all the decurrent Cuphophyllus. Usually has a strong mealy smelly hence the name.