Parrot Waxcap

Gliophorus psittacinus

Gliophorus psittacinus is a small, wax-like, brightly coloured mushroom. It has gills and a cap in a vivid, parrot-like colour that changes as the fruitbody matures, going from green to yellow and sometimes orange [1]. The cap is 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) across, and the thin stem is usually yellow-green. The gills are waxy and decurrent (running down the stem) [1][2].

It grows in a wide range of nutrient-poor habitats including unimproved grassland, old churchyards, and mossy lawns, but is associated with areas that have not had artificial fertilisers applied to them for a long time [2][3]. It is sometimes used as an indicator of the quality of a habitat, only occurring where the soils have not been artificially enriched. It is thought to be saprotrophic (feeding on dead organic material) but there is evidence that it forms associations with mosses, rather than plant roots, although its ecology is not well understood [3].

Small and striking, the Parrot Waxcap is one of many colourful, yet ecologically inconspicuous species that demonstrate that beauty is often a by-product of health.

[1] Siegel, Noah, and Christian Schwarz.“Gliophorus psittacinus.” California Fungi: MykoWeb. https://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Gliophorus_psittacinus.html

[2] Plantlife.“Parrot Waxcap (Gliophorus psittacinus).” Plantlife: Wild Plants and Fungi of the UK. https://www.plantlife.org.uk/plants-and-fungi/parrot-waxcap/

[3] Kuo, Michael. “Gliophorus psittacinus.” MushroomExpert.com. https://www.mushroomexpert.com/gliophorus_psittacinus.html