Coprinoid Mushrooms
aka. The
Inky Caps
Inky
caps assist in the decomposition of wood, manure, grassy debris, forest litter,
and more. Most species have black spore
prints and gills that liquefy at maturation.
The "ink" that results is why the common name of “inky caps”
has come about and amazingly enough it can be used as writing ink.
Inky
cap identification ranges from easy to extremely difficult. Many are “ephemeral”, meaning they live for
one day; they grow, liquefy, and turn into black mush within a matter of hours. Microscopic examination of various features
is the only way to truly identify the species.
To add to the confusion coprinoid mushrooms are now distributed among
four genera: Coprinus, Parasola, Coprinopsis, and Coprinellus.
Key
to Coprinoid Mushrooms:
Kuo,
M. (2008, February). Coprinoid mushrooms: The inky caps. Retrieved from the
MushroomExpert.Com Web site
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