Inky cap

Description:

At first egg-shaped and mostly smooth with just a small central area covered in small flattened scales, without veil fragments, the cap of Coprinus atramentaria later expands to become bell-shaped with a slight umbo before deliquescing from the margin. Grey or grey brown before turning black, caps attain a diameter of 3 to 7 cm. The free, crowded gills of the common inkcap are white at first, turning brown and then black before autodigesting. The stem is white with reddish-brown fibrils towards the base, 8 to 15 mm diameter and 5 to 12 cm tall.

Habitat:

Coprinopsis atramentaria is saprobic on or beside, usually hardwood, stumps. Sometimes beside woodland footpaths and at the base or trees in parks and gardens. Also fairly common on tree lined grassy roadside verges or in parkland where fallen timber has become buried under dead grass.

Notes:

Spotted in Wechelerveld in rural area of Deventer, Holland. (sources:see reference)