Golden Waxcap vs Splendid Waxcap

Hygrocybe chlorophana compared with Hygrocybe splendidissima

Key Differences

• Golden Waxcap is Least Concern while Splendid Waxcap is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Golden Waxcap	Splendid Waxcap
Kingdom same	Fungi (균계)	Fungi (균계)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (담자균류)	Basidiomycota (담자균류)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (주름버섯강)	Agaricomycetes (주름버섯강)
Order same	Agaricales (주름버섯목)	Agaricales (주름버섯목)
Family same	Hygrophoraceae	Hygrophoraceae
Genus same	Hygrocybe	Hygrocybe
Species	Hygrocybe chlorophana	Hygrocybe splendidissima

Evolutionary Relationship

Golden Waxcap and Splendid Waxcap share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Hygrocybe.

Conservation Status

Golden Waxcap

LC — Least Concern

Splendid Waxcap

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Golden Waxcap	Splendid Waxcap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Golden Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

Splendid Waxcap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden