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Biodiversity Species Action Plan
Waxcap Species
Common Name: Waxcap Fungi
Scientific Name: Hygrocybe species
Welsh Name: Cap Cwyrog
UK BAP Status: Priority Species (Pink Meadow Waxcap and Date-Coloured
Waxcap only)
Lead UK Partner: Plantlife
Denbighshire Status: Local Priority Species
Local Lead Partner: DCS
Statutory Protection:
The Pink Meadow Waxcap and Date-Coloured Waxcap are protected through the
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended by the Countryside and Rights of
Way Act 2000 and feature on the Provisional Bern Convention list.
Links to other Action Plans:
Unimproved Neutral and Acid Grassland HAP, Calcareous Grassland and
Pavement HAP, Coastal Sand Dunes and Vegetated Shingle HAP, Lowland
Wood Pasture, Parkland and Veteran Trees HAP, Urban Green Spaces HAP,
adjacent counties’ Waxcap SAPs.
Objectives
Objective 1
To establish, where possible, the distribution and status of waxcap species in
Denbighshire.
Objective 2
To maintain, and where feasible enhance, the known populations of waxcap
species in Denbighshire.
Objective 3
To increase public awareness of waxcap species and their conservation
requirements.
Current Status
UK and Wales
There are 60 recorded species of waxcap in Europe which are most commonly
found in the west and north and tend to be strongly associated with grassland
habitats. The continued loss of unimproved grassland habitats, largely due to
agricultural intensification, has restricted the distribution of waxcap fungi. Two
waxcaps are identified as priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Pink
Meadow Waxcap Hygrocybe calyptriformis and Date-Coloured Waxcap
Hygrocybe spadicea. The number of Pink Meadow Waxcap sites in Britain is
now known to total 500 following a survey by the British Mycological Society and
the UK has a particular responsibility to this species as it is much rarer in the rest
of Europe. Of these, 87 sites occur in Wales. Conversely, the Date-Coloured
Waxcap is less uncommon in continental Europe but is rare in the UK. It is found
at sites scattered throughout Britain, 10 of them in Wales, but being small and
inconspicuous it is probably under-recorded. There are over 40 known waxcap
species found in the UK, and the UK holds a significant proportion of the total
European waxcap resource.
Denbighshire
Pink Meadow Waxcaps are found in Denbighshire on unimproved limestone
grassland at Bodelwyddan and Glan-yr-Afon. There are currently no records in
Denbighshire for Date-Coloured Waxcaps. Other locally important waxcap
species are found at sites throughout Denbighshire, with particularly good sites at
Castell Dinas Bran and the Eglwsig area in Llangollen.
Description
Waxcap fungi are a distinctive and attractive component of many undisturbed
and nutrient-poor grasslands. They are usually brightly coloured with thick waxy
gills, moist brittle flesh and waxy, sticky or slimy caps. They are found in a range
of grasslands, usually ancient and unimproved, within pasture, meadows,
churchyards, parkland, rabbit-grazed sand dunes, commons, village greens and
lawns. Good waxcap sites are well-drained, with a short turf usually maintained
through grazing or regular mowing, free from fertilizer or lime input and
disturbance, in particular ploughing and re-seeding.
The Pink Meadow Waxcap is mainly found on lawns, grassy meadows, pastures
and woodland margins. It tends to exhibit a slight preference for acidic/neutral
soils but is found on both limestone and acid grasslands. Whilst the fruiting
bodies are seldom abundant they are conspicuous and distinctive, which may be
why this species tends to be better recorded than others. Appearing from August
to October, especially after rainfall, they have attractive pinky-lilac pointed caps
with fine striations and a greasy appearance and pinky-white gills. In Wales, they
have been observed as late in the year as December but a hard frost will
immediately bring fruiting to an end. As they age, the cap expands causing the
margin to split and flick upwards earning them the colloquial name of ‘ballet
dancer’.
The Date-Coloured Waxcap is smaller and less conspicuous. It prefers well
drained sites and is most commonly found on south-facing limestone pastures
but will also colonise neutral grassland which is dry during the summer,
calcareous dunes and mown parkland. Fruiting bodies are produced following
heavy rain in summer and autumn. They have a brown, chestnut or coffeecoloured conical cap which becomes progressively more flattened with age,
yellow gills and a yellow stem and grow to between 4 and 7cm tall.
Current Factors Affecting Species

The continued loss of unimproved grassland habitats through
agricultural intensification and urban development. Many good
waxcap grasslands were ploughed during and immediately after the
Second World War and it is estimated that in the past 60 years in excess
of 95% of haymeadow habitats in the UK have been destroyed
(Lovegrove, Shrubb & Williams, 1995).

Fertilizer application. Waxcaps exhibit a high sensitivity to elevated
nutrient levels and recovery after fertilizer application can take over 30
years for some sensitive species (Ejrnaes & Bruun, 1995).

Reduction or cessation of mowing or grazing regimes has a
deleterious effect on fruit body production as it leads to successional
changes in plant communities, altering the grassland habitat. For the
Date-Coloured Waxcap, stabilisation and associated vegetational
succession of its dune sites has the same consequences.

An increase in recreational pressure may have an adverse effect on
certain waxcap sites through soil compaction and destruction from
trampling.
Current Action
UK

The British Mycological Society initiated a waxcap grassland survey in
1996, which is ongoing and provide advice nationally through their
Conservation Officer, records and workshops.

Plantlife also began a waxcap survey in 2002 and the species feature in
their ‘back from the brink’ programme.
Wales
 The Pink Meadow Waxcap is present on a known site in Wales owned by
the National Trust who manage it with regard to the waxcap’s conservation
needs. It is also found on 3 SSSIs in Mid Wales.

Aberystwyth University is undertaking research into waxcap autecology.

CCW and the Fungus Conservation Forum have produced advisory
literature for managing land with fungi in mind and in 2001 launched an
appeal to gardeners to record the presence of fungi.

CCW has been involved in survey work on grassland fungi and have
subsequently produced a leaflet: ‘Grassland Fungi’.

A methodology has been devised (Rald, 1985) to evaluate the
conservation value of nutrient-poor grasslands through the use of waxcaps
and other fungi as indicator species.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Principal Author: Kate Burgess (DCS)
References
 Ejrnaes, R. & Bruun, H.H. (1995) Prediction of grassland quality for
environmental management. Journal of Environmental Management.41: 171
– 183.
 English Nature. Grassland Information Note: Number 4 Grassland Fungi.
 Griffith, G. W., Easton, G. L. & Jones, A. W. (2002) Ecology & Diversity of
Waxcap (Hygrocybe spp) Fungi. Botanical Journal of Scotland 54(1): 7-22.
 Lovegrove, R. Shrubb, M. & Williams, I. (1995) Silent Fields. Royal Society
for the Protection of Birds (Wales).
 Rald, E. (1985) Vokshatte som indikatorarter for mykologisk vaerdifulde
overdrevslokaliteter. Svampe 11: 1-9. (With English summary).
 Rotheroe, M., Newton, A., Evans, S. & Feeham, J. (1996) Waxcap grassland
survey. Mycologist 10(1): 23-25.
 www.bryosoft.co.uk/bapsite
 www.nifg.org.uk/waleswaxcaps/species/atlas.htm
 CCW leaflet
Abbreviations
BAP – Biodiversity Action Plan
CCW – Countryside Council for Wales
DBP – Denbighshire Biodiversity Partnership
DCC – Denbighshire County Council
DCS – Denbighshire Countryside Service
HAP – Habitat Action Plan
NWWT – North Wales Wildlife Trust
SAP – Species Action Plan
SSSI – Site of Special Scientific Interest
WAG – Welsh Assembly Government
Glossary
Autecology – The study of the ecology of an organism in relation to
environmental factors.
Proposed Actions by Lead Partners
1. Policy and Legislation
Lead Partners
1.1 Ensure the species and its habitat is
protected through the planning system.
DCC
2. Species/Site Safeguard and Management
2.1 Ensure that the potential presence and
management requirements of waxcaps are
considered within any relevant site
management plans or agri-environment
schemes.
CCW, WAG, DCS
2.2 Consider notifying as SSSIs or Wildlife
Sites, sites with viable populations of waxcap
species where this is consistent with
selection guidelines and where this is
necessary to ensure their long term
protection and appropriate management.
CCW, NWWT, DCS
2.3 Identify and ensure favourable
management of council owned waxcap and
grassland fungi sites.
DCS
3. Communications and Publicity
3.1 Provide publicity to the general public
promoting fungi and their ecological
importance and encourage the reporting of
waxcap sightings / possible sites.
DCS, CCW
3.2 Include gardening for fungi advice in
wildlife gardening publicity and promotions.
DCS
3.3 Encourage participation in national
Mycological Society,
waxcap surveys.
Plantlife, DCS
4. Advisory
4.1 Advise landowners and land managers of
the presence of waxcaps and their
importance, specific management
requirements and any potentially damaging
actions.
CCW, DCS, WAG
5. Survey, Research and Monitoring
5.1 Identify and survey known waxcap sites
in Denbighshire and areas that may be
suitable habitat for waxcaps.
DCS
5.5 Review this plan every 5 years.
Target
Objective
No net loss of waxcap sites.
2
Ongoing.
2, 3
As appropriate
2
From 2005 onwards
2
One press article by end 2006
and other publicity as
opportunities arise.
1, 3
As opportunities arise
2, 3
Ongoing
1, 3
As opportunities arise
2, 3
Ongoing.
1
2011
1, 2
DBP
For Further Details Contact:Denbighshire Countryside Service:
County Ecologist – Tel: 01824 708263
Biodiversity Officer – Tel: 01824 708234
or e-mail: [email protected]
Denbighshire County Council. March 2006