Bitter Waxcap vs Blue Bugle

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Ajuga genevensis

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Blue Bugle is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Blue Bugle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Lamiales (Lamiales)
Family	Hygrophoraceae	Lamiaceae
Genus	Hygrocybe	Ajuga
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Ajuga genevensis

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Blue Bugle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Blue Bugle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bitter Waxcap

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Blue Bugle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Uzbekistan), Europe (7 countries), and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Bitter Waxcap

The Bitter Waxcap (Hygrocybe mucronella) is a species in the genus Hygrocybe. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Blue Bugle

The Blue Bugle (Ajuga genevensis) is a species in the genus Ajuga. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also fo

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden