About Hygrocybe coccinea (Schaeff.) P.Kumm.
This small waxcap mushroom has a cap that ranges 2–5 centimetres (3⁄4–2 in) across. The cap is initially bell-shaped, flattens as it matures, and is scarlet in color with a slimy texture. Its adnate gills are thick, widely spaced, and yellow-red in color. The stipe is ringless, measures 2–5 cm tall and 0.3–1 cm (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) wide, and is red with a yellowish base. The flesh is yellowish-red, with faint smell and taste. The spores are oval, measure 7–9.5 x 4–5 μm, and produce a white spore print. Hygrocybe coccinea has a wide distribution in unimproved grasslands across Europe, where it can be found from August to October. In Britain, like all Hygrocybe species, it has its best growing seasons in frost-free late autumn months. In western North America, it may be found under redwoods or in mixed woodland during winter. It has been recorded growing under Rhododendron and oak (Quercus) in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal, and also occurs in India, China, and Japan. Specimens initially identified as H. coccinea in Australia have since been reclassified as either H. miniata or H. kandora.
