Sociable Inkcap
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Basidiomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Coprinaceae
Genre: Coprinus
Species: C. disseminatus
Scientific name: Coprinus disseminatus
Common name: Sociable Inkcap
Sociable Inkcap is a little coprinoid species whose gills do not turn to black ink. They are very thin and fragile and the caps quickly crumble when handled. They are saprobes, assisting in the decomposition of wood, forest litter, and so on. They grow growing in clusters and sometimes in astounding numbers. Found often by the hundreds on decaying wood especially near the bases of stumps. It appears spring, summer and autumn. Its cap is initially white, but soon begins to turn greyish brown, with a brownish center. Even though the gills do not turn to ink (the official term in Mycologese is "deliquesce"), Coprinellus disseminatus is still easily recognized as a coprinoid mushroom by its cap shape and greyish black gills. It is Inedible.
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