Bitter Waxcap vs Date Waxcap

Hygrocybe mucronella compared with Hygrocybe spadicea

Key Differences

• Bitter Waxcap is Near Threatened while Date Waxcap is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bitter Waxcap	Date Waxcap
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order same	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family same	Hygrophoraceae	Hygrophoraceae
Genus same	Hygrocybe	Hygrocybe
Species	Hygrocybe mucronella	Hygrocybe spadicea

Evolutionary Relationship

Bitter Waxcap and Date Waxcap share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Hygrocybe.

Conservation Status

Bitter Waxcap

NT — Near Threatened

Date Waxcap

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bitter Waxcap	Date Waxcap
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.

Date Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden