Magpie Inkcap

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Magpie Inkcap is a widespread, easily recognized, short-lived, gilled mushroom. It occurs in Europe, North America, Australia, and southern Africa. In the United States it occurs east of the Great Plains and west of the Rocky Mountains, but is mostly absent between. It is widespread but not common. It is found from May to November, usually alone, sometimes in small, well-spaced groups, in deciduous forests and woodlands. It grows on the ground under oak trees.

When it first appears the cap is cyllinder-shaped or oval, brown, and covered with whitish material of the universal veil just beginning to break up. A young cap can easily be mistaken for Shaggy Mane. As it ages it spreads out and the veil material breaks up into separate patch-like scales. At this stage it is said to resemble the plumage of the Eurasian Magpie. This is the feature that gives the mushroom its common name. The mature cap is broadly bell-shaped, glossy, very dark grayish-brown, and 1¼″ to 3″ (3 to 8 cm) in diameter. It is finely lined (striate) from the margins all the way to the center. The margins eventually bend outward and liquefy (deliquesce), turning to ink.

The stalk is white and is covered with small patches of white woolly hairs (floccose). It can be 2¾″ to 10″ (7 to 25 cm) long and 3⁄16″ to ⅝″ (5 to 15 mm) thick, but it is usually no more than 6″ (15 cm) long. The base is usually slightly enlarged (bulbous) and covered with woolly hairs. There is no partial so there is no ring on the stalk.

The gills are crowded and may be broadly attached to the stalk (adnate) or not at all attached to the stalk (free). They are white at first, turning reddish as they age. At maturity they turn black and liquify into ink that drops to the ground. This is the feature that gives the genus its common name.

The flesh is thin, fibrous, watery, and inedible. It has a unpleasant odor and taste, and causes digestive upset in some people.

The spore print is black.

Deciduous forests and woodlands

May to November

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Widespread but not common

Magpie InkCap was previously classified as Coprinus picaceus in the family Agaricaceae. A molecular DNA study published in 2001 showed that most of the species in the genus Coprinus were only distantly related to the type species Coprinus comatus. All but three species were moved to the new family Psathyrellaceae and assigned new genera.

Found this in my flower garden in Becker County. Never have seen anything like it.

Share your video of this fungus.

Location: Becker County

Found this in my flower garden in Becker County. Never have seen anything like it.