Blackening Waxcap Mushroom
(Hygrocybe conica)
Notes: A species of agaric (gilled mushroom) in the family Hygrophoraceae. In the UK it has been given the recommended English name of blackening waxcap. In North America it is commonly known as the witch’s hat, conical wax cap, or conical slimy cap.
Hygrocybe conica is known to be a complex of at least eleven closely related species.
Distribution: Widespread in Eurasia, North America, and elsewhere.
Camera: iPhone 16 ProMax
Location: Rideau Lakes, Ontario, CANADA
The edibility of H. conica is unknown, and it may be poisonous. David Arora suggests that reported poisonings may have been caused by other species, but that H. conica may cause minor adverse effects (such as lightheadedness) and is unsubstantial.
