Mica Cap

Mica Cap is a very common and very widespread mushroom. It has been collected in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. In the United States has been seen from coast to coast. It occurs from April through October in hardwood and mixed forests and woodlands. It grows in dense clusters usually on decaying hardwood stumps, logs, and woody debris, sometimes on the ground growing on buried wood. It obtains its nutrients from already decaying hardwood (saprobic), especially bark.

The cap when young is oval, tan to yellowish brown or tawny, and darkest in the center. It is narrowly grooved (striate) at least half way to the margin. It is covered with minute, loosely-attached, whitish, glistening particles. The particles are remnants of an egg-like structure (universal veil) that protected the newly emerging mushroom. The particles soon wash away with rain or dew and the cap first becomes bell-shaped then flattens out. The mature cap is ¾″ to 2″ in diameter and grayish, especially toward the margin. As it ages the margins dissolve progressively inward into black ink at that drips to the ground.

The gills are pale at first and crowded. They may be broadly attached to the stalk (adnate), narrowly attached (adnexed), or not attached (free). As they mature they turn gray or brownish, then ultimately black. As they release their spores they self-digest, turning into black ink at that drips to the ground.

The stalk is white, smooth, hollow, and fragile, It is usually 1¾″ to 3″ long and 1 ⁄16″ to ¼″ in diameter. Large individuals may be up to 4¾″ tall.

The flesh is soft and white or pale. It is edible but thin and watery. Cooking soon after picking is recommended because the caps begin to liquify (auto digest) as soon as one hour after picking. Cooking stops the autodigestion.

The spores are black.

Hardwood and mixed forests and woodlands, suburbs, urban areas

April through October

Sources

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

Widespread and very common

Mica Cap was originally described in 1786 as Agaricus micaceus. In 1838 it was moved to the genus Coprinus. 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. Coprinus micaceus became Coprinellus micaceus.

Mica Cap or Coprinus micaceus or common inky cap. I found these in several places this season but these pictures were in my yard growing on a stump we pulled up last fall.

Cluster

Mushroom

Cap

Gills

Stem

On Mica Caps
The Richest Fare

Mica Cap Mushroom Identification - Morel Season Mushrooms
MiWilderness

Coprinellus micaceus AKA Mica Cap Mushrooms Video/Daily Video V log while Mushroom Hunting
Walt Reven Jr

Coprinellus micaceus, the mica cap. 4/9/11 in Shoreline, WA, USA.
Cyanescentinel

CG
5/5/2024

Location: Stearns County

are they edible?

The flesh is edible. Cooking soon after picking is recommended because the caps begin to liquify (auto digest) as soon as one hour after picking. Cooking stops the autodigestion.

Thank you!! We fried them up with butter and garlic. They taste just like button mushrooms!

Location: Westwood Nature Center, St Louis Park MN

Location: St. Paul, MN

Found in my backyard!

Location: Fillmore County

Location: Hennepin County, MN

Mica Cap or Coprinus micaceus or common inky cap. I found these in several places this season but these pictures were in my yard growing on a stump we pulled up last fall.