Magpie Fungus
Poisonous 
Autumn 
Winter 
Magpie Fungus, Coprinus picaceus.
Poisonous causing alarming symptoms but not affecting everybody. Don’t take a chance!
| Mushroom Type | |
| Common Names | Magpie Fungus, Magpie Inkcap |
| Scientific Name | Coprinus picaceus |
| Season Start | Sep |
| Season End | Dec |
| Average Mushroom height (CM) | 25 |
| Average Cap width (CM) | 5 |
Please note that each and every mushroom you come across may vary in appearance to these photos.
Cap
Elongated finger-like shape opening to a cone. Appearing white and shaggy with a black background turning brown/grey to black and then ‘melting’.
Gills
Gills white turning pink to grey to brown until becoming black and ‘melting’.
Stem
White, narrow, usually hollow and with a white movable skirt, sometimes stained black with spores and can have a slightly hairy bulbous base.
Flesh
White.
Habitat
Beech woodland especially on chalky soils.
Possible Confusion
The Shaggy Inkcap, pictured, has a white cap with white scales, the Magpie Fungus has a black cap with white scales.
Spore Print
Black. Ellipsoid.
Frequency
Uncommon.
Other Facts
The resulting mess from leaving this mushroom to deliquesce can be used as a viable ink.
12 comments for Magpie Fungus
Found a group of these in Dartington Hall gardens – not sure how to upload picture.
Hi Dave, you can send them to us here https://www.wildfooduk.com/contact-us/ or via email to [email protected]
An enormous patch of them still looking good in Dartington Hall. Rather an unusual location as these are normally associated with alkaline substrates and usually but not exclusively with beech. These are almost certainly associated with yew.
found these at pressmenan lake _MG_2790.jpg
Found one of these today at Christmas Common in Oxfordshire
A new one for us. Spotted them at Wisley Gardens yesterday 8.9.2020
Found a group of these yesterday in Dulwich Park, south London.
Found in Hockley Woods, Essex this morning
Growing on our garden for the first time. We live on the edge of woodland south of Canterbury.
I saw a patch of about 6 in Westonbirt Arboretum. I’ve never seen one before.
Spotted one in Blake’s Wood, Little Baddow, Essex, yesterday 30/10/2020
Found several of these at Malshanger near Basingstoke, never seen one before. Under a Beech tree which apparently they like.