Crimson Waxcap vs Garlic Waxcap

Hygrocybe punicea compared with Hygrocybe helobia

Key Differences

• Crimson Waxcap is Vulnerable while Garlic Waxcap is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Crimson Waxcap	Garlic 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 punicea	Hygrocybe helobia

Evolutionary Relationship

Crimson Waxcap and Garlic Waxcap share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Hygrocybe.

Conservation Status

Crimson Waxcap

VU — Vulnerable

Garlic Waxcap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Crimson Waxcap	Garlic Waxcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Crimson Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Garlic Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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