Gliophorus is a genus of agaric fungi in the family Hygrophoraceae. 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.
Taxonomy The genus was described by Czech mycologist Josef Herink in 1958. It was formerly synonymized with Hygrocybe by many authorities, but recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, indicates that Gliophorus is monophyletic and forms a natural group distinct from Hygrocybe sensu stricto.
Description Species are distinguished from most other waxcaps by producing basidiocarps (fruit bodies) with extremely slimy or glutinous caps and stems. 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). Elsewhere, they are most frequently found in woodland. The genus is cosmopolitan, though New Zealand has an unusually large number of native Gliophorus species.
Species Image Scientific name Distribution G. alboviscidus Europe G. bichromus New Zealand G. calunus North America G. chromolimoneus New Zealand and Australia G. europerplexus Wales, England, and Spain G. fumosogriseus New Zealand G. fumosus North America G. glutinosus Sikkim G. graminicolor Australia and New Zealand G. irrigatus Europe G. laetus Europe, Central America, eastern and western North America G. lilacinoides New Zealand G. lilacipes New Zealand G. luteoglutinosus Australia G. ostrinus Mexico G. pallidus New Zealand G. parafumosus North America G. perplexus Mexico G. pseudograminicolor Australia G. psittacinus Europe, United Kingdom, Iceland, Greenland, the Americas, South Africa, Japan G. reginae England and Wales, Denmark, France, Slovakia, and Spain. G. roseusReschke, 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 Panama G. subaromaticus North America G. subheteromorphus New Zealand G. sulfureus New Zealand G. versicolor New Zealand G. viridis New Zealand G. viscaurantius New Zealand.
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