About this fungus
Flocculose Inkcap is a fungus in the Psathyrellaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A pale, fragile inkcap with loose white flakes over the young cap.
What to check
Look for blackening gills, a black print, veil flecks that rub or wash away and growth from woody or straw-rich material.
Variation
Rain can remove most veil flecks, while mature caps expand, split and partly dissolve.
Lookalikes
Several Coprinellus species are nearly identical without spore and cystidial characters. The orange ozonium of some relatives can help but is not always visible.
Habitat and range
A decomposer of buried wood, mulch, composted plant remains and straw in temperate regions.
Food safety
Inedible.