On the hunt for threatened fungus
11 November 2008
Conservationists are appealing to the public for sightings of Britain's most colourful, but most threatened species of fungus, in order to identify and protect the last remaining sites where it flourishes. The waxcap is easy to recognise with its wide gills and shiny cap in shades of pink, yellow and scarlet. But though it was once a common sight, the increasing use of fertilisers means the unimproved grassland habitat it prefers is fast disappearing. The pink waxcap (Hygrocybe calyptriformis) and the date-coloured waxcap (H. spadicea) are both already on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan's list of species needing protection.
Plantlife has already begun monitoring sites where waxcaps are known to appear, and now the National Trust has set up an online survey which the public can contribute to.
To take part, and download a spotters' guide to waxcaps, visit the National Trust's website