Coprinellus truncoroum.
Fungi > Division Basidiomycota > Class Agaricomycetes > Order Agaricales > Family Psathyrellaceae.
Growing in dense clusters these fruiting bodies can be up to around 10 cm high.
A conical cap becomes more bell-shaped then flattened as it ages.
The yellow-brown cap, up to 3 (5) cm across has radial striations around the edge.
The cap surface is smooth but when young it has white remnants of the universal veil.
The close set gills are grey then black.
When mature the edge is enzymatically digested – auto-digestion.
The hollow cylindrical stalk has a smooth surface.
Copionellus micaceus.
The macroscopic appearance and description is virtually identical to Coprinellus truncorum.
Descriptions emphasise the white flecks on the cap more but these could just be younger specimens.
The veil remnants wash off in rain.
One difference seems to be that C. truncorum has a smooth stem while C. micaceus has fine powdery deposits on it.
There are said to be microscopic differences in the spores.
It has been suggested that they are actually the same species.
J.F.
