Hygrophorus
| Hygrophorus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Hygrophorus eburneus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Agaricales |
| Family: | Hygrophoraceae |
| Genus: |
Hygrophorus Fr. (1836) |
| Type species | |
|
Hygrophorus eburneus (Bull.) Fr. (1838) |
|
| Synonyms | |
Hygrophorus is a genus of agarics (gilled mushrooms) in the family Hygrophoraceae. Called "woodwaxes" in the UK or "waxy caps" (together with Hygrocybe species) in North America, basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are typically fleshy, often with slimy caps and lamellae that are broadly attached to decurrent. All species are ground-dwelling and ectomycorrhizal (forming an association with living trees) and are typically found in woodland. Around 100 species are recognized worldwide. Fruit bodies of several species are considered edible and are sometimes offered for sale in local markets.
Hygrophorus was first published in 1836 by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries. The generic name is derived from the Greek ῦγρὁς (= moist) + φόρος (= bearer), with reference to the slimy caps found in many species. Fries (1849) subsequently split the genus into three subgenera: Limacium, Camarophyllus, and Hygrocybe. The last of these is now recognized as a genus in its own right, but was frequently included within Hygrophorus until the 1970s.Camarophyllus (type species Hygrophorus camarophyllus) and Limacium were also raised to the rank of genus, but are regarded as synonyms of Hygrophorus.Camarophyllus sensu Singer (based on Hygrocybe pratensis) is, however, a synonym of Hygrocybe (or Cuphophyllus).
Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, suggests that Hygrophorus (minus Hygrocybe) is a monophyletic (and hence natural) genus. Only a few species, however, have been sequenced to date.
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