1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (46 votes, average: 3.39 out of 5)
Loading...

Glistening Inkcap

Edible Edible
Autumn Autumn
Spring Spring
Summer Summer
Winter Winter

The powdery ‘mica’ covering can be seen shining when the sun is out but this mushroom has little nutritional value so is best left alone or added to other mushrooms in a dish.

Mushroom Type
Common Names Glistening Inkcap (EN), Mica Cap (US), Cap Inc Gloyw (CY), Czernidłak Błyszczący (PL), Kerti Tintagomba (HU)
Scientific Name Coprinellus micaceus
Synonyms Coprinus micaceus
Season Start Mar
Season End Dec
Average Mushroom height (CM) 4-6
Average Cap width (CM) 2-3
Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.

Cap

2-3 cm. Orange/brown, ochraceous becoming a bit darker towards the centre.  Initially bell-shaped becoming furrowed and then splitting. Has grooves running from the top of the cap to the edge and a covering of white powdery ‘mica’ which can wash off in the rain. The cap deliquesces or melts to a black liquid soon after maturity.

Gills

Gills white then brown and finally black. Crowded and free of the stem.

Stem

4-6 cm long, 0.2-0.4 cm diameter. White, slightly discoloured at the base. Thin.

Flesh

Very thin.

Habitat

Around broad leaved stumps or on buried wood.

Possible Confusion

It can look like Woodland Inkcap (Coprinellus silvaticus), pictured, after the rain has washed off the powdery ‘mica’. Coprinellus silvaticus is inedible so only mushrooms with the ‘mica’ covering should be eaten.

Spore Print

Date brown. Mitriform.

Taste / Smell

Mildly mushroomy, not really worth while unless mixing in with other mushrooms.

Frequency

Common.

COMMENTS

1 comment for Glistening Inkcap

  1. Nathaniel Joe Anderson says:

    I have found mushrooms that look similar to this. The stems are white and hollow, but they bruis pink. The caps are bell shaped with a nippel , and pink but darker twords the center. The gills are pink but turn gray. I am doing a spore print now.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RELATED WILD FOOD RECIPES

RELATED FORAGING ARTICLES