BRN 9-3 - Flipbook - Page 27
Copriopsis lagopus (?)
On September 29, 2025, we noted this
observation by Rebecca Hallgarth and
Jan Haley; two photographs by Rebecca
Hallgarth are shown here. This (very)
small mushroom was discovered
growing in the right-of-way along
NM-152 in Hillsboro. (The cap was from
2 to 3 cm across.) The observation was
identiÞed as a possible Coprinopsis
lagopus.
Coprinopsis lagopus is one of the
coprinoid (inky cap) mushrooms which
decompose wood. This type of mushroom is found throughout the world and
there are many species of this type, so
this identiÞcation to species must be
treated as tentative, perhaps suspect.
Most coprinoid mushrooms have black
spores but no spore print was taken of
this individual.
Coprinoid mushrooms are fascinating
from a number of perspectives. For
instance, Rebecca and Jan observed the
mushroom as it is shown here in midmorning. By mid afternoon, it was gone.
The common name of these mushrooms
is descriptive of the spore dispersal
system used by these species. When the
mushroom is mature the gills ÒliquifyÓ,
producing a black ÒinkÓ which can
reportedly be used as writing ink. The
production of this ink is not, however,
diagnostic of a coprinoid mushroom (or
even of members of this family) since
other types of mushroom also do this.
The gills begin the ÒliquidationÓ from the
outside edge of the cap toward the stem.
This causes the cap to curl upward and
over itself. This process exposes the
mature spores to the wind and is an
effective method of spore dispersal.
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