Common inkcap
Coprinopsis atramentaria · 墨汁鬼伞
Common小脆柄菇科⚠️ Poisonous
Reference sources list this as a poisonous mushroom.
The same species can be described differently across regions and stages of maturity, and countless look-alike species cannot be told apart by eye. Never use the information on this page to judge whether a real mushroom is safe to eat.
How to Tell
- Cap grayish brown, bell- to egg-shaped, finely lined on the surface
- Cap margin deliquesces into black ink-like liquid at maturity
- Clusters on the ground near stumps or buried wood, often in tight groups
ID notes are compiled by AI from public sources, not reviewed by a mycologist, for learning only — never a basis for foraging.
Basics
- Family
- 小脆柄菇科
- Hymenium
- Gills
- Grows On
- Soil
- How Big
- 3–7 cm (cap diameter)
- Encounter Rate
- Common
- Habitat
- Buried wood, roadsides and grassland
Easily Confused With
Shaggy ink capShaggy ink cap has a white, cylindrical cap with large shaggy scales; common inkcap is smooth and grey-brown.
Glistening inkcapGlistening inkcap is smaller and tawny-orange, with a cap dusted in glittering granules.
Magpie inkcapCap dark brown, covered in white patch-like scales, like magpie feathersFun Fact
It contains coprine, which causes little trouble on its own once cooked, but combined with alcohol it blocks alcohol metabolism, triggering flushing and a racing heart — symptoms that can return even days later if you drink again.