#24 Coprinellus disseminatus

Coprinellus disseminatus, or Coprinus disseminatus, is from family Coprinaceae. Typically, fungi from this group have black gills that quickly dissolve or self-digest into an inky black gooey substance (the official mycology term is "deliquesce"), but Coprinus disseminatus does not collapse and auto-digest. This is a useful feature for identification purposes.

I am not aware of any common name for this Coprinus species in Australia, but some common American names are Little Helmet, Fairy Bonnet, Non-inky Coprinus and Crumble Cap.

Tiny white or cream caps are oval when young, expanding up to 12 or 15mm wide to convex (domed) or bell-shape as they grow. With age, caps turn pale grey or beige with a brown or cream centre. Caps are finely grooved from the margin to near the centre and are very fragile, crumbling when handled.

My thumb gives a size comparison to young caps

Stipes (stems) are white, hollow, smooth, and fragile, growing to about 35mm high and only 1 or 2mm in diameter. Gills start out white, aging to light brown then dark brown or blackish-brown. Unlike other Coprinus species that auto-digest, it should be possible to obtain a spore print from Coprinellus disseminatus. Spores are black or blackish-brown.

Coprinus disseminatus are fragile, crumbling when handled

Coprinellus disseminatus grow on decaying wood and often appear on wooden garden edges or stepping blocks. They also sprout from underground decaying roots. I have also seen them growing amongst wood-chip mulch. They will appear in large troops, primarily in autumn and spring.

Coprinellus disseminatus are not restricted to Australia, but I am unsure of their distribution in Australia.

A fresh specimen with hollow stalk

Although not Australian, here is a Coprinus key that could be a useful aid in identifying Coprinus species found in the field. And here is an earlier blog entry detailing another Coprinus species, Coprinus cinereus.

Aging specimens dry out and wither, but do not collapse by auto-digestion like most other Coprinus species

My sightings of Coprinellus disseminatus

[This will be updated with more sightings]

Hunter Region Botanic Gardens - Heatherbrae - on dead wood and wood-chips - May, Sep.

A troop of Coprinellus disseminatus showing colour variation

#8 Pseudohydnum gelatinosum

Jelly fungi are intriguing growths. You need to have a keen eye and make a close inspection of most fungi to really appreciate their intricate beauty and marvelous structure.

Pseudohydnum gelatinosum, Toothed Jelly Fungus, family Exidiaceae, is a beautiful thing. Pronunciation: Sue-doh-hid-numb gelat-in-oh-sum. They are found on rotting wood or living trees in wet forests in southeast Queensland, eastern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

Toothed Jelly Fungi 30mm wide.

Fruiting bodies are usually tongue or fan-shaped, grey to brown, and quiver when touched. The upper surface of the young fungus has a texture similar to a tongue, becoming gelatinous (slimy) with age. I have seen Toothed Jelly fungi up to 80mm wide.

The lower surface is covered in white pointed tooth-like projections up to a couple of millimetres long. If a stem is present, it will be short and wide.

A close-up of the fertile underside of the fungus

Stumpy stalk and tongue-shaped grey cap

Toothed Jelly Fungi grow singly or in overlapping clusters. The upper and lower surface is soft to the touch which distinguishes it from other grey or brown shelf fungi that have firm spines. As they age, they collapse into a brown glutinous blob, as shown in the image below.

An aging Toothed Jelly (left) will collapse into jelly-like blob (right)

My sightings of Pseudohydnum gelatinosum

[This will be updated with more sightings]

Barrington Tops National Park - on discarded rotting milled timber on rainforest floor - Apr, Jun.

An elegant fungus

#6 Coprinus cinereus

During the warmer months of 2004 and 2005 this fungus made frequent appearances in my lawn within a confined area of 3 square metres. I have not seen it elsewhere, or since 2005.

Several species of Coprinus occur in Australia. Most coprinus are collectively commonly known as Ink Caps because as the fruitbodies mature they auto-digest from the edge of the cap inwards, dripping a black fluid containing the spores. Most Coprinus are very short lived.

A newly emerged Coprinus cinereus

All Coprinus cinereus that I observed, emerged from lawn or soil after dark and had collapsed and virtually disappeared by mid morning the following day, therefore having a lifespan of between 12 and 15 hours. The image above was taken at night.

In the image above and the one below, you can see the scattered shaggy remnants of a white veil on the cap. The cap is pale grey, is thin and fragile with white flesh, and is up to 30mm in diameter.

The mature umbrella-like cap (note the collapsed Coprinus cinereus beside the new fungus)

The stipe (stem) is white, has soft white scales, is hollow, thin and fragile, and the specimens I have seen have been up to about 90mm tall.

The umbrella-shaped cap will split vertically and begin its auto-digestion process by curling up at the edge. In a very short time, the cap will be reduced to a curled-up black sloppy blob, with the stalk sagging and collapsing.

Here is a web site listing Coprinus species from around the world, together with photographs and identification keys.

The cap splits and the stalk begins to sag

The cap rolls up and the stem sags further

The cap rolls up and liquifies as it self-digests

My sightings of Coprinus cinereus

[This will be updated with new sightings]

Hunter Valley NSW - in soil or lawn in my backyard - single fungi or small loose groups Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May.

C. cinereus appearing to 'melt' as it self-digests

More Coprinus species featured on my blog:

Coprinus comatus

Coprinellus disseminatus