This is a large group of around 60 species in New Zealand, of which most are small to medium-sized and brightly coloured, saprophytic on leaf litter with white spores. Their common names of waxgill or waxcap are due to the wax-like appearance of the gill surface. This family is divided into a number of different genuses based on microscopic features.  As usual, the moment you start looking closely at a family, it's not long before misidentified and unnamed species start turning up. Unfortunately, recent DNA sequencing has done little to sort these out, other than to confirm that there are misidentified and unnamed species present in New Zealand. 

Species are distinguished from most other waxcaps by producing basidiocarps (fruit bodies) with strongly decurrent lamellae (gills).

Resent DNA sequencing has shown this to be an unnamed species.

These are small, brightly-coloured, saprobic, soil and litter-inhabiting fungi. Gliophorus distinguishes itself by having a thick glutinous cap and stem that are viscid to glutinous, in some cases with a glutinous edge to the gills. There are at least twelve Gliophorus species reported in New Zealand and a few undescribed ones. Identification is largely dependent on colour, size, and the shape of the cap.

A very similar genus to the Gliophorus, which took DNA to separate it from them. A small genus of yellow species, with only one species in New Zealand and a few others worldwide.

This small genus of brightly coloured saprobic agarics is distinguished from the other wax-gills by the cap that splits even in very young specimens. The split occurs in such a way as to pull apart the two faces of a single gill. found growing in moss or leaf litter on the forest floor during late autumn, with caps that are moist to viscid. Microscopically, it is recognised by the absence of clamp connections in all tissues except at the base of basidia where large medallion clamps occur.

This large group of saprobic fungi, with white spores, They have thick, waxy gills and a translucent texture, particularly evident in the gills. Some are drab, but most are bright with striking colours dominated by red, orange, and yellow fruiting bodies. Common during the colder and wetter months of the year, sometimes in large numbers. Microscopically, this genus is distinguished from the other waxgills in this group by subparallel to parallel lamellar trama.

Section Firmae contains fungi which have dimorphous spores and, in some cases, basida (dimorphous means of two different sizes). Only one species is described in New Zealand, that being H. firma. This name is doubtful and originates from a species described from Sri Lanka. Recent DNA sequencing has confirmed that this species does not occur in New Zealand, though we do have six species within sect. Firmae, none of which are named. The following four species are the ones I have come across that are in sect. firmae. I don’t know if these are the same as the six mentioned above or different ones again. Care is needed when looking at these microscopically, as failing to see the dimorphous spores can result in this species being misidentified.

This small group of waxgills are recognised by their habit of going black with age or when damaged. Three species are found in NZ. Only two are shown here. One, H. astatogala, is native and found in forest habitats, and the other two are introduced and found in grassland. H. astatogala comes in different colour forms, although no one has explained why this is the case.