# Goblet Waxcap (*hygrocybe cantharellus*)

The Goblet Waxcap is a colorful mushroom that looks like a tiny goblet! It loves to grow in grassy places and can be found in many forests.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** They live in grassy areas and forests across Europe and North America.
- **Also known as:** Goblet Mushroom, Hygrocybe, Waxcap Mushroom

![Goblet Waxcap](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2011-06-17_Hygrocybe_cantharellus_69428_cropped.jpg&width=800)

Photo: This image was created by user {{{2}}} at Mushroom Observer , a source for mycological images. You can contact this user here ., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2011-06-17_Hygrocybe_cantharellus_69428_cropped.jpg)

## Appearance

The Goblet Waxcap has a vibrant orange to yellow, often funnel-shaped cap with a smooth, moist surface. Its widely spaced gills are the same bright color as the cap, making it visually distinct from duller forest fungi.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Hygrophoraceae
- **Genus:** Hygrocybe

## Interesting facts

- Goblet Waxcaps sometimes have a ruffled cap edge, like a tiny skirt!
- It belongs to a family of fungi known for their amazing, vivid colors.
- Its scientific name, \*cantharellus\*, means "little chanterelle"!
- This mushroom often grows scattered on lawns and mossy spots.

## Special abilities

- **Nature's Recycler:** Goblet Waxcap can break down dead organic matter because of specialized enzymes that help them return nutrients to the soil.
- **Bright Signal:** Goblet Waxcap has strikingly bright colors that help them attract insects and other small creatures for spore dispersal.
- **Waxy Feel:** Goblet Waxcap has a waxy or greasy surface that helps them resist drying out in their open, grassy habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 2-6 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 0.5-3 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Decomposes dead leaves and woody debris from these trees.
- **Eats:** [Red Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-maple) (*Acer rubrum*) — Feeds on decaying leaf litter and small organic fragments.
- **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs and snails are known to graze on various fungi, including waxcaps.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking mushrooms.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Goblet Waxcap?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Goblet Waxcap?

2-6 cm

### Is Goblet Waxcap edible?

edible

### How big is Goblet Waxcap?

0.5-3 cm

### Where is Goblet Waxcap usually found?

They live in grassy areas and forests across Europe and North America.

### What does Goblet Waxcap grow on?

soil

### When is Goblet Waxcap in season?

Late summer to fall

### What color are Goblet Waxcap spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Stony Creek Metropark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stony-creek-metropark) — Michigan, US · Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Goblet Waxcap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/goblet-waxcap)