A Cap Of Inky Reproductive Parasol of an 'Wolly Inky Cap' - Mushroom

Members of the mushroom genus Coprinus are called 'inky caps' because the cap turns into a black inky ooze of spores as the mushrooms mature. There are many North American species in this genus (over 200 known species worldwide), including the popular and easy-to-recognize, Shaggy Mane mushroom, Coprinus comatus (below). Although the cap of the Shaggy Mane forms a large stout cylintrical cone, our May unknown was a delicate species, Coprinus lagopus. C. lagopus begins as a fine, unopened parasol covered with a frosty-looking layer of white (the veil). It opens to a lovely parasol, but then (within a few minutes!) it curls further to create the delicate vase-like structure show here, that seems to be the work of a practised sculptor. It then quickly deteriorates into a sticky mass of black spores and slime.

In overview of Kingdom Fungi along with a fascinating look at the four main groups of Fungi can be viewed on our program Branches on the Tree of Life: FUNGI .