The pink waxcap, Hygrocybe calyptriformis, one of the most beautiful of all grassland fungi, is now sadly rather quite rare, but where we live in West Wales we occasionally stumble across one or two in churchyards; but the best place to look is in upland regions on cropped, unfertilised grassland. You might find two or three together, but more often they occur as solitary specimens. We used to travel to the Cambrian Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, each a minimum of forty miles inland, but in recent years there have been quite a few pink waxcaps on Llanlwni Mountain - actually not very mountainous but a wonderful place clad with heather in summer and waxcap fungi in autumn.
On an international scale Hygrocybe calyptriformis is a rare species, and more than half of all known occurrences are in the UK, with Wales particularly prolific. So where else can we see them?
Well, if you visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales (as we do about twice per month) just venture on the short walk to Waun Las National Nature Reserve - it was designated such only a few weeks ago - and you could well see them there on the hill slope behind the old farmhouse. A small group of pink waxcaps was spotted there in early October, and there are several other Hygrocybe species there too.
Anywhere else worth a visit?
