HARE'S-FOOT INKCAP

Coprinopsis lagopus

Inkcap (2) & Brittlestem [fungi] Family [Psathyrellaceae]

category

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

A smallish mushroom growing on soil with wood debris or wood-chippings. A thin white and tapering stipe bears a thin semi-transparent cap.

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

The caps start off an elongated egg-shape, becomes flatter, then when older starts to curl up and delequesce, turning into a black liquid containing the spores. The stipe is also initially densely covered in white felty scales.

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

Both cap and stipe, when young, are covered in a dense white felty mat of fibrils.

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

The cap turns upwards when older and starts to turn black and liquefy into a black ink, as do all Inkcaps.

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

The cap is thin and strongly furrowed, turning black at the edges where it may also split and fray.

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

Dense white mat of fibrils disappear as it ages. Furrows are straight and rectangular in cross-section.

16th Sept 2005, Macclesfield Canal.

Photo: © RWD

The young form is egg-shaped, covered in dense off-white shaggy scales and looks like a hare's foot, hence the common name.

Some similarities to : Snowy Inkcap (Coprinopsis nivea) in that the cap is a similar, but whiter, colour but completely covered in a fleecy material.

Slight resemblance to : Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus) which is also whitish-grey but that has greyish hairy scales like a wig.

No relation to : Hare's-Foot Clover [a plant with similar name].

Grows on soil with wood chips or other woody debris, and is widespread and common, though not in the top 100.

There are two distinct populations of Inkcap, this one and others are in the Brittlestem Family [Psathyrellaceae], whereas Shaggy Inkcap is in the Agaricaceae Family. Both dissolve themselves into a black liquid.

Coprinopsis

lagopus

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Psathyrellaceae

Coprinopsis
(Inkap (2))