vs

Chromosera cyanophylla compared with Chromosera xanthochroa

Key Differences

  • is Critically Endangered while is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank
Kingdom same Fungi (เห็ดรา) Fungi (เห็ดรา)
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 Chromosera Chromosera
Species Chromosera cyanophylla Chromosera xanthochroa

Evolutionary Relationship

and share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Chromosera.

Conservation Status

CR — Critically Endangered

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Chromosera cyanophylla is a species of waxcap mushroom in the family Hygrophoraceae, found in old-growth and semi-natural grasslands across temperate Europe. It is particularly notable for producing fruiting bodies with a striking blue-violet or lilac coloration in the gills and stipe, as reflected in its species name, which translates approximately to blue-violet gills. The cap may be pale to ochre and the gills retain vivid blue-violet hues that are distinctive among grassland fungi. Waxcap grasslands are ecologically sensitive habitats dependent on long continuity of traditional pastoral management without artificial fertilizers. The communities of specialist fungi that develop in these habitats — including waxcaps, earthtongues, and pinkgills — take decades to centuries to develop and are destroyed rapidly by any intensification of land management. Chromosera cyanophylla is a species of conservation interest in several European countries and is included in national red lists where its populations have been assessed. The ongoing conversion of traditionally managed meadows and pastures to improved agricultural land represents the principal threat to this and many related waxcap species across Europe.

Chromosera xanthochroa is a waxcap mushroom in the family Hygrophoraceae, associated with old, unimproved grasslands in Europe. Like other members of the genus Chromosera and the broader waxcap community, it is considered an indicator of ecologically ancient grassland that has escaped agricultural intensification. The specific epithet xanthochroa refers to yellow or golden coloration, which is a feature of this species' fruiting bodies. Waxcap species are mycorrhizal or saprotrophic fungi that develop slowly over years to decades in stable grassland soils undisturbed by plowing, reseeding, or fertilizer application. The presence of rich waxcap communities — including multiple Chromosera, Cuphophyllus, Hygrocybe, and Camarophyllopsis species — is internationally recognized as a signal of extraordinary grassland biodiversity value. Countries such as Wales, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Estonia hold globally significant concentrations of waxcap grasslands. Chromosera xanthochroa faces pressures from habitat loss driven by agricultural intensification, development, and succession of grassland to scrub and woodland following cessation of traditional grazing. Conservation of waxcap grassland sites requires continuation of low-intensity pastoral management.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

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