Magpie Inkcaps!
We were very excited to find lots of Magpie Inkcaps in the woods at Ickworth today!
Magpie Inkcaps (Coprinopsis picacea) were scientifically described in 1785 as Coprinus (an eater of dung) picacea – that looks like Pica pica, the magpie – it was renamed Coprinopsis at the beginning of this century because of DNA differences with other Coprinus species such as shaggy inkcap.
Magpie Inkcaps are infrequent in Britain and Ireland and found most commonly in areas with alkaline soil, however they can be found in areas with acid-soil. Magpie Inkcaps occur most often in deciduous woodland, particularly under Beech trees and less frequently under oaks. Occasionally they can be found in damp shady grassland. They are often solitary or widely spaced, but occasionally they occur in small groups. They can be seen from May to November
At maturity the caps of Magpie Inkcaps are 3-7cm across and 7-12cm tall; initially egg-shaped, becoming bell shaped, the margins turn outwards before blackening and deliquescing from the rim. The cap has a very dark grey-brown glossy background covered with silvery-white fibrils that separate into patches as the cap expands. Magpie Inkcaps have a tall white stem which is floccose i.e. covered in wooly tufts and bulbous at the base.
The white gills are adnate or free, turning red then black as they deliquesce. The Magpie Inkcap is reported to be poisonous.
Magpie Inkcaps!
We were very excited to find lots of Magpie Inkcaps in the woods at Ickworth today!
Magpie Inkcaps (Coprinopsis picacea) were scientifically described in 1785 as Coprinus (an eater of dung) picacea – that looks like Pica pica, the magpie – it was renamed Coprinopsis at the beginning of this century because of DNA differences with other Coprinus species such as shaggy inkcap.
Magpie Inkcaps are infrequent in Britain and Ireland and found most commonly in areas with alkaline soil, however they can be found in areas with acid-soil. Magpie Inkcaps occur most often in deciduous woodland, particularly under Beech trees and less frequently under oaks. Occasionally they can be found in damp shady grassland. They are often solitary or widely spaced, but occasionally they occur in small groups. They can be seen from May to November
At maturity the caps of Magpie Inkcaps are 3-7cm across and 7-12cm tall; initially egg-shaped, becoming bell shaped, the margins turn outwards before blackening and deliquescing from the rim. The cap has a very dark grey-brown glossy background covered with silvery-white fibrils that separate into patches as the cap expands. Magpie Inkcaps have a tall white stem which is floccose i.e. covered in wooly tufts and bulbous at the base.
The white gills are adnate or free, turning red then black as they deliquesce. The Magpie Inkcap is reported to be poisonous.