Hygrocybe punicea

Garnet Red Saftling ( Hygrocybe punicea )

The Garnet Red or Best Saftling ( Hygrocybe punicea ) is a species of fungus in the genus of the wax caps.

Features

The fruiting bodies of garnet red Saftling are 3-15 cm wide, the sticky to slimy hat is bell-shaped to broadly conical and often hunched wide. Its color is blood to dark red with a brownish tinge, sometimes with a narrow yellow border, he is hygrophanous (wet stained becoming ). The remotely located, usually bulbous fins are at the bottom by transverse veins ( anastomoses ) and are free. You are vermilion to brownish and have a yellowish margin. The stalk is 3-15 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, it is dry, straight-grained, white at the base, otherwise yellow to orange-red, sometimes with darker fibers and intervening white frost.

Ecology

The Garnet Red Saftling requires acidic soil, it grows on pastures, dry meadows and little fertilized pastures, on clearings and grassy forest edges. Typical accompanying plants in Central Europe, heather, mat-grass and the Rotstängelmoos ( Pleurozium schreberi ). The fruiting bodies appear in late summer and autumn. The Garnet Red Saftling is endangered as many members of the genus wax caps by nutrient input and eutrophication of its habitats.

Dissemination

The Garnet Red Saftling is widespread, it is in Australia ( its introduction? ), Northern Asia from Siberia to Korea and Japan, in North America and in the Canary Islands off. In Europe it is widespread, although rare everywhere, and is from Southern Europe to Iceland, has been found the Faroe Islands and Svalbard. In Germany the species is widespread, but varying density occurring in flat and hilly country rare.

System

The regarded as one of the most beautiful mushrooms garnet Saftling occurs in Central Europe in two forms, the actual Garnet Red Saftling Hygrocybe punicea var punicea and the Magnificent Saftling Hygrocybe punicea var splendidissima. Closely related to these forms is the Cherry Red Saftling ( Hygrocybe coccinea). The Magnificent Saftling is also regarded as a form of cherry red juice Lings, may represent the three forms of a single species dar.

Importance

All forms of garnet red juice Lings are protected in Germany, in the nature, they serve like other wax caps as indicators for valuable, nutrient-poor grass companies.