Cowboy's handkerchief

Hygrophorus eburneus

Hygrophorus eburneus is a soft, wax-capped mushroom. Its smooth, free fruiting body is pearly white and translucent, with a natural sheen, or luster. The cap is slimy when wet and becomes silky to the touch as it dries. The gills are thick, waxy, and have a decurrent attachment to the stipe (Grove, 1994). The translucency and texture of this species lend to the soft, folded look of its tissue that led to the common name, Cowboy's Handkerchief [1][2].

Ecologically, this species grows in damp woods, sometimes under beech or oak. It appears in the fall when the air is moist, and the ground is rich in decaying leaves and wood. It is a saprotroph, or saprophyte, which means it is responsible for a part of the continuous recycling of leaf litter and dead wood by returning the nutrients it sequesters to the forest floor. This species also has weakly mycorrhizal tendencies in some cases (Stensrud & Hall, 1981). This habit makes the species a biologically flexible, and able to bridge environmental niches [2][3].

Visually, this species is a reminder of the fleeting seasons of decay and growth that happen every year in the forests around us [4]. It is a symbol of vibrancy and mortality, an indicator of rich soils and the organic decay of a healthy, mature forest [5].

[1] Plantiary.“Cowboy’s Handkerchief – Hygrophorus eburneus.” Plantiary Mushroom Database. https://plantiary.com/mushroom/hygrophorus-eburneus_624.html

[2] First Nature.“Hygrophorus eburneus (Bull.) Fr. – Ivory Woodwax or Cowboy’s Handkerchief.” First Nature – Fungi of Northern Europe and North America. https://first-nature.com/fungi/hygrophorus-eburneus.php

[3] Antropocene.it.“Hygrophorus eburneus: Systematics, Habitat, Recognition.” Ecosostenibile – Mushrooms & Nature. December 15 2022.https://antropocene.it/en/2022/12/15/hygrophorus-eburneus-2/

[4] PictureMushroom.“Ivory Woodwax (Hygrophorus eburneus).” PictureMushroom Wiki. https://picturemushroom.com/wiki/Hygrophorus_eburneus.html

[5] Wikipedia contributors.“Hygrophorus eburneus.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified April 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygrophorus_eburneus