''Cuphophyllus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
agaric
An agaric () is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. It is a type of mushroom (or toadstool) ...
fungi
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Hygrophoraceae
The Hygrophoraceae are a family (biology), family of fungi in the order (biology), order Agaricales. Originally conceived as containing white-spored, thick-gilled agarics (gilled mushrooms), including ''Hygrophorus'' and ''Hygrocybe'' species (th ...
. ''Cuphophyllus'' species belong to a group known as waxcaps in English, sometimes also waxy caps in North America or waxgills in New Zealand. In Europe, ''Cuphophyllus'' species are typical of
waxcap grassland
Waxcap grassland is short-wikt:sward, sward, nutrient-poor grassland that supports a rich assemblage of larger fungi, particularly waxcaps (species of ''Hygrocybe'' and related genera), characteristic of such habitats. Waxcap grasslands occur pr ...
s, a declining habitat due to changing agricultural practices. As a result, four species, ''
Cuphophyllus atlanticus'' (as ''
C. canescens''),
[ '' C. colemannianus'', '' C. lacmus'', and '' C. lepidopus'' are of global conservation concern and are listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.]
Taxonomy
History
The genus was described by French mycologist Marcel Bon
Marcel Bon (17 March 1925 – 11 May 2014) was one of France's best known field mycologists. He was born in Picardy in 1925 and came to mycology through general botany, and pharmacology. He lived at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, a quaint little town ...
in 1985,[ though it was subsequently synonymized with '']Hygrocybe
''Hygrocybe'' is a genus of agarics (gilled fungi) in the family Hygrophoraceae. Called waxcaps in English (sometimes waxy caps in North America), basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are often brightly coloured and have dry to waxy pileus (mycology), cap ...
'' by some authorities.[ ''Cuphophyllus'' species have sometimes been referred to the genus ''Camarophyllus'' ( Fr.) P.Kumm., but, as argued by Donk (1962), the ]type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
of ''Camarophyllus'' must be ''Agaricus camarophyllus'' Alb. & Schwein. the species from which the genus takes its name.[ This means that ''Camarophyllus'' ]sensu stricto
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...
is a synonym of ''Hygrophorus
''Hygrophorus'' is a genus of agarics (gilled mushrooms) in the family Hygrophoraceae. Called "woodwaxes" in the UK or "waxy caps" (together with '' Hygrocybe'' species) in North America, basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are typically fleshy, often ...
'', since ''A. camarophyllus'' is a ''Hygrophorus'' species (''Hygrophorus camarophyllus
''Hygrophorus camarophyllus'' is a species of edible fungus
A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the ...
''). This is now accepted by all standard authorities.[ Singer (1951), however, proposed ''Agaricus pratensis'' (= '']Cuphophyllus pratensis
''Cuphophyllus pratensis'' is a species of agaric (gilled mushroom) in the family Hygrophoraceae. It has been given the recommended English name of meadow waxcap in the UK and in North America has variously been called the meadow waxy cap, salmon ...
'') as the type species of ''Camarophyllus'',[ which means that ''Camarophyllus'' ''sensu'' Singer is a synonym of ''Cuphophyllus''.
]
Current status
Recent molecular
A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, ...
research, based on cladistic
Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...
analysis of DNA sequences
A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of the ...
, indicates that ''Cuphophyllus'' is monophyletic
In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria:
# the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
and forms a natural group distinct from ''Hygrocybe'' sensu stricto.
Description
Species are distinguished from most other waxcaps by producing non-viscid, typically white, grey, or brownish basidiocarps
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome, or basidioma () is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do no ...
(fruit bodies) often with decurrent
''Decurrent'' (sometimes decurring) is a term used in botany and mycology to describe plant or fungal parts that extend downward.
In botany, the term is most often applied to leaf blades that partly wrap or have wings around the stem or petio ...
lamellae
Lamella (: lamellae) means a small plate or flake in Latin, and in English may refer to:
Biology
* Lamella (mycology), a papery rib beneath a mushroom cap
* Lamella (botany)
* Lamella (surface anatomy), a plate-like structure in an animal
* Lame ...
(gills). Species of the genus ''Chromosera
''Chromosera'' is a genus of fungi in the family Hygrophoraceae. Within the family Hygrophoraceae it is closely related to the genus '' Gloioxanthomyces''. It contains eight brightly colored species showing yellow and/or bluish to violet colorati ...
'' are superficially similar, though often more brightly coloured.[
]
Habitat and distribution
In Europe, ''Cuphophyllus'' 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.[
]
Economic usage
Fruit bodies of one of the commoner European waxcap species, '' C. pratensis'', are edible[ and widely collected, sometimes being offered for sale in local markets.
]
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus ''Cuphophyllus'':
See also
*List of Agaricales genera
This is a list of fungal genus, genera in the order (biology), order Agaricales. The list follows Kalichman, Kirk & Matheny (2020), with more recent additions and amendments, as noted. The number of species in each family is taken from Catalogue of ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q918158
Agaricales genera
Hygrophoraceae