Inkcaps

Inkcaps are a broad group of mushrooms best known for a distinctive autodigestion process in which the cap (and often the gills) dissolve into a black, inky fluid that helps disperse the spores. This deliquescence gives inkcaps their common name and is exhibited by many species across several genera.

Taxonomically, many inkcaps were once placed in the genus Coprinus, but taxonomic revisions have moved most into Coprinopsis, Coprinellus, and Parasola within the family Psathyrellaceae. The fruiting bodies are typically small to medium, with a conical to bell-shaped cap, a fragile stem, and gills that change from pale to black as the cap liquefies. The spore print is black.

Inkcaps are saprotrophic, feeding on decaying organic matter such as leaf litter, rich soils, wood chips, manure, and rotting wood. They are widespread in temperate regions and can appear after rain, often in lawns, meadows, or woodland edges. Some species deliquesce rapidly, while others form more persistent caps and exhibit less ink production.

Notable species include the shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) and the common ink cap (Coprinopsis atramentaria). The shaggy mane is edible when young, though it should be eaten soon after harvest. The common ink cap is infamous for its interaction with alcohol; ingestion followed by alcohol can trigger a coprine-related reaction. Many inkcaps are small and have little culinary value, and some are not recommended for foragers due to variable edibility and potential misidentification. Overall, inkcaps are ecologically important saprotrophs and are most often appreciated for their striking autodigestion rather than their use as food.