# Trooping Crumble Cap (*coprinellus disseminatus*)

The Trooping Crumble Cap is a tiny mushroom that grows in groups, making it look like a little army of caps! They look like they are crumbling away, which is where they get their fun name!

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Forests, especially in damp or decaying wood areas.
- **Also known as:** Crumble Cap, Little Crumble, Mushroom Army

![Trooping Crumble Cap](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Coprinellus_disseminatus_group.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coprinellus_disseminatus_group.jpg)

## Appearance

The Trooping Crumble Cap is a tiny, bell-shaped mushroom with delicate gills. Its cap changes from white-grey to grey-brown, eventually dissolving into a black inky liquid. It grows in dense clusters, appearing like a miniature forest.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Each tiny mushroom cap often lasts for only one or two days!
- Its scientific name, \*disseminatus\*, means 'scattered', for how widely it grows!
- Often called 'Fairies' Bonnets' because of their delicate, whimsical look.
- Thousands can sprout on a single log, making it look fuzzy from afar!

## Special abilities

- **Ink Maker:** Trooping Crumble Cap's gills dissolve into black ink to efficiently spread its spores, ensuring new mushrooms grow nearby.
- **Team Player:** Trooping Crumble Cap grows in huge clusters, which helps them process decaying wood faster and release more spores together.
- **Quick Cycle:** Trooping Crumble Cap has a very short lifespan, quickly decomposing material and returning nutrients to the soil in days.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1-4 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Spring to fall
- **Spore Color:** White

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** Red Oak (*Quercus rubra*) — Decomposes dead wood from this tree.
- **Eaten by:** Fungus Gnat (*Mycetophila fungorum*) — Larvae consume fungal tissue.
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails graze on its delicate caps.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

Always ask an adult before touching or eating any mushrooms!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Trooping Crumble 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 Trooping Crumble Cap?

1-4 cm

### Is Trooping Crumble Cap edible?

inedible

### How big is Trooping Crumble Cap?

0.5-1.5 cm

### Where is Trooping Crumble Cap usually found?

Forests, especially in damp or decaying wood areas.

### What does Trooping Crumble Cap grow on?

wood

### When is Trooping Crumble Cap in season?

Spring to fall

### What color are Trooping Crumble Cap spores?

White

## Where to spot

- [Hagerstown Commercial Core Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hagerstown-commercial-core-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District
- [South Prospect Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-prospect-street-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District
- [Lakewood Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lakewood-park) — Virginia, US · Park

[View all places to see Trooping Crumble Cap](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/trooping-crumble-cap)

## 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: [Trooping Crumble Cap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/trooping-crumble-cap)