Muddy River 07/17/09, 6:30 p.m.

Revisiting a favorite urban species

Coprinus micaceus, the mica cap, is one of the most urban and cosmopolitan of mushroom species. It was the first mushroom species I identified in a foreign city. It occurs virtually anywhere there are tree roots rotting in the ground. Why it thrives in urban areas is a mystery to me, though it seems that it must have accompanied Europeans on journeys around the world early on, probably as a stowaway in soil ballast.

I had the good fortune recently to photograph the mushrooms in several stages of development. Mushrooms are sometimes hard to identify because they change over time. The first thing you might notice about the photograph above is the shiny specks on the mushroom caps. This field marking is the origin of the mushroom's name, but it may not always be present. If the rain that encourages the fungus to produce mushrooms is profuse, the mica-like spots might be washed off the caps. ( Read more... )