The new species Hygrocybe puaena  is Hawaii's version of H. cantharellus ,
a species common to eastern North America and Europe.  Hygrocybe cantharellus
differs in forming a scarlet red to flame orange, squamulose pileus, and in
pileipellis and stipitipellis anatomy as well as basidiospore size.  Hygrocybe
puaena , whose epithet means "radiance" in Hawaiian (referring to the bright
yellow pigmentation), occurs only in endemic montane ohi`a-hapu`u forests on
the islands of Hawai`i and Moloka`i.