# Common Ink Cap (*Coprinopsis*)

The Common Ink Cap is a small mushroom that can turn into black ink! It's fun to watch as it grows.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** In gardens and grassy areas
- **Also known as:** Inky Cap, Inky Mushroom

![Common Ink Cap](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426139/objects/5132.jpg)

## Appearance

The Common Ink Cap has an ovoid to bell-shaped cap, often greyish-brown with fine scales. Its gills are initially white, turning grey then black, liquifying into a black, inky fluid as it matures, making it visually unique.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Psathyrellaceae
- **Genus:** Coprinopsis

## Interesting facts

- Before plastic, people sometimes used the inky fluid from these mushrooms to write letters!
- If you eat this mushroom with even a tiny bit of alcohol, it can make you feel very sick!
- They often grow in huge groups, sometimes hundreds of them popping up together overnight.
- This mushroom's cap turns into a gooey black liquid, just like ink, which inspired its name!

## Special abilities

- **Ink Maker:** Common Ink Cap can digest itself into a black, inky fluid because its gills break down to release spores, making natural ink.
- **Alcohol Alert:** Common Ink Cap has a special compound that causes a strong reaction when eaten with alcohol, protecting it from some curious foragers.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-15 cm
- **Edible:** poisonous
- **Size:** 3-8 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Spring to late autumn
- **Spore Color:** Black

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — Decomposes dead oak roots or wood in the soil.
- **Depends on:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — Helps decay dead maple wood and roots beneath the surface.
- **Depends on:** Perennial Ryegrass (*Lolium perenne*) — Feeds on dead grass roots and thatch in lawns and fields.

## Traits

- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Common Ink Cap?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Common Ink Cap?

5-15 cm

### Is Common Ink Cap edible?

poisonous

### How big is Common Ink Cap?

3-8 cm

### Where is Common Ink Cap usually found?

In gardens and grassy areas

### What does Common Ink Cap grow on?

soil

### When is Common Ink Cap in season?

Spring to late autumn

### What color are Common Ink Cap spores?

Black

## Where to spot

- [West Springfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/west-springfield-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Common Ink Cap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-ink-cap)