Gliophorus is a genus of agaricfungi in the familyHygrophoraceae. Gliophorus species belong to a group known as waxcaps in English, sometimes also waxy caps in North America or waxgills in New Zealand. In Europe, Gliophorus species are typical of waxcap grasslands, a declining habitat due to changing agricultural practices. As a result, two species, Gliophorus europerplexus and Gliophorus reginae, are of global conservation concern and are listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[1]
Species are distinguished from most other waxcaps by producing basidiocarps (fruit bodies) with extremely slimy or glutinous caps and stems.[8] The waxcap genus Gloioxanthomyces is superficially similar.
Habitat and distribution
In Europe, Gliophorus species are typically found in agriculturally unimproved, short-sward grasslands (including pastures and lawns).[3] Elsewhere, they are most frequently found in woodland. The genus is cosmopolitan, though New Zealand has an unusually large number of native Gliophorus species.[8]
^Reschke, K., Lotz-Winter, H., Fischer, C.W., Hofmann, T.A., Piepenbring, M., 2021. New and interesting species of Agaricomycetes from Panama. Phytotaxa 529, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.529.1.1