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Family: Psathyrellaceae
"Like other coprinoid mushrooms, Coprinopsis atramentaria has gills that turn black and eventually liquefy, creating an "ink." In fact, for many authors, Coprinopsis atramentaria is the "inky cap" that gives the coprinoid mushrooms their common name. Widespread and commonly encountered, it tends to grow in clusters from senescent root systems around stumps. It has a gray to brownish gray cap that features a few tiny scales over the center but lacks prominent scales or the mica-like granules of Coprinellus micaceus." [ME.com]
"Several varieties of Coprinopsis atramentaria have been described. According to van de Bogart (1979), var. acuminata has scant veil and a bell-shaped cap, while var. crassivelata has an especially abundant and thick veil. Uljé (2003) recognizes the former at the level of species, as Coprinus acuminatus. The scaly-capped Coprinopsis atramentaria var. squamosa is recognized by most authors as a separate species, Coprinopsis romagnesiana (which I suspect is also synonymous with van de Bogart's var. crassivelata). See van de Bogart's key to the species cluster for more information, as well as Uljé's key." [ME.com]
Summary: Features of Coprinopsis atramentaria include lead-gray to brownish, radially lined cap that deliquesces, relatively thick stem, and often clustered growth. Van de Bogart's description is for var. atramentaria, other varieties are as follows: var. acuminata as var. atramentaria except that a prominent umbo is present at cap apex, and var. crassivelata as var. atramentaria except that veil thick and often forming areolate patches [cracked like dried mud]. C. atramentaria is common in the Pacific Northwest." [E-flora]
Spore Deposit: "deep brownish black to almost black (Van De Bogart), black (Arora)" [E-flora]Similar Species: "Coprinopsis striata has prominent brownish striations (but no plicate striations), (Van De Bogart). Coprinopsis depressiceps has the top of the cap depressed, and spores are laterally compressed (as opposed to round in cross-section or dorsoventrally compressed), (Van De Bogart). Coprinopsis pinguispora has different spores, (Van De Bogart). Coprinellus micaceus is less fleshy with tan to yellow brown cap, thinner stem, and gills pallid soon becoming gray or brownish then black." [E-flora]
"Coprinopsis atramentaria is recognized by its smooth to silky, greyish-brown caps, clustered habit, and deliquescing gills. It prefers disturbed habitats and thus is at home in the urban environment where it inhabits dirt parking lots, gardens, and grassy areas. Like its cousin, Coprinellus micaceus, it often fruits near buried wood. Coprinopsis atramentaria can be easily distinguished from Coprinus comatus which has a columnar-shaped, scaly cap, and from C. micaceus which a yellow-brown mica-flecked cap and is a smaller mushroom." [Mykoweb]
COMMENTS: "The lead-gray to brownish, bell-shaped caps of this species are a familiar sight in vacant lots and gardens. Several varieties occur, including one with a pointed or umbonate cap (var. acuminatus) and one with a copious universal veil. The typical variety, however, has a non-umbonate cap and only slight universal veil remnants on the cap (if any). The young unexpanded buttons provide an unexpected visual treat when sliced open lengthwise, but true to their name, they turn into an unsightly inky black mess as they mature, suitable for writing but not biting. The inky cap sometimes rivals the shaggy mane in size and abundance and may even mix company. I have seen gigantic 1O-lb. clusters fruiting from an old cut stump in a field, but it does not necessarily grow in clumps. Other species. C. insignis (=c. alopecia) of eastern North America is a similar species with rough spores. It grows on hardwood stumps, especially maple, and is poisonous to some people." [MushDemyst]
Habitat/Range
"single or in loose groups of several to many or in dense cespitose clusters, usually on soil and frequently near rotting wood, and especially partly
buried rotten wood, rarely directly on rotting wood, (Van De Bogart), scattered to densely gregarious or in massive clumps in cultivated areas, lawns,
gardens, roadsides, on or around old stumps, etc., (Arora), summer and fall (Miller), spring, summer, fall, (Buczacki)" [E-flora]
"Scattered to densely gregarious or in massive clumps in cultivated areas, lawns, gardens, roadsides, around or on old stumps, etc., sometimes also in the woods;
widely distributed and very common, fruiting in our area practically year-round. It used to be an unwanted intruder in cultivated mushroom beds, and is one of our
characteristic "suburban" mushrooms. The largest fruiting I've seen in the wild was under aspen in New Mexico. Several crops are generally
produced each year." [MushDemyst]
"Solitary to clustered, in grass, often near rotting wood; fruiting from fall to spring, although specimens can be collected any month of the year that moisture is
available." [Mykoweb]
"Eating certain mushrooms with alcohol can make you sick, hence the name of the poisoning. The most famous example is the inky cap mushroom (Coprinopsis atramentaria), also known as the tippler’s bane." [Myco Bone]
"Although generally considered edible, when consumed with alcohol, Coprinopsis atramentaria and other related species are toxic. Coprine hydrolysis products originating in the human body interfere with the breakdown of alcohol at the intermediate stage, since they block acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Consumption of alcoholic beverages within 72 hours after eating these mushrooms will cause headache, nausea and vomiting, flushing and cardiovascular disturbances that last for 2–3 hours. Although very unpleasant, the syndrome has not been associated with any fatalities." [BCIF Gilbert]
"The symptoms are described as similar to those observed after application of disulfiram (trade names for disulfiram in different countries are Antabuse or Antabus), that is a drug used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism by producing an acute sensitivity to alcohol. Coprine and disulfiram both caused an increase in the acetaldehyde/ethanol ratio, coprine being more potent than disulfiram." [BCIF Gilbert]
"This species is reported to be toxic when ingested within several days of consumption of alcohol. The toxic reaction involves nausea, a flushed appearance and a hot feeling, and gastrointestinal disturbance. Under other conditions, it is a good edible species. This species has recently been interpreted as Coprinopsis atramentaria." [MOFMUS Huffman]
"Edible but reacts with alcohol, it "contains a disulfiram-like compound (coprine) that reacts with alcohol in the body to produce acetaldehyde", which in turn produces "reddening of the ears and nose, a metallic taste in the mouth, lightheadedness, rapid Edible when young and fairly good-but sometimes reacting with alcohol in the body to produce a peculiar type of poisoning (see p. 896 for details). The grayish- brown caps look rather unappetizing-and precisely for this reason were the very first wild mushroom I ventured to eat. Inky cap-and-salami sandwhiches became a staple item in my teen-age diet until I discovered finer and more flavorful fungal foods, such as "sparassis Sole" and .. Agaricus Elegante." " [MushDemyst]
"Edible, but not recommended unless alcoholic beverages are avoided for several days before and after ingestion. It contains a compound, coprine, that can cause nausea, facial flushing, and an accelerated heart beat when ingested with alcohol." [Mykoweb]
"Coprinopsis atramentaria is a fairly good edible, but should not be consumed with, or even within about 48 hours of drinking, alcoholic beverages due to the presence of coprine, which causes a variety of unpleasant symptoms." [Trudell MPNW]
Coprinopsis atramentaria (Bull.: Fr.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo - Methanolic extract - Cytotoxic activity against MCF7, NCI‐H460, HCT15 cancer cells - Heleno et al., 2014 [Zied EMM]
Synonyms