Coprinus Pers.
(inkcaps)

Coprinus (inkcaps) may be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Coprinus (inkcaps) may be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Subtaxon Rank Featured
subtaxa		 No of
interactions		 No of
references
Coprinus comatus
Shaggy Inkcap, Lawyer’s Wig
Species 1 trophisms 2 references
Coprinus ephemeroides
Diaphanous Inkcap
Species 2 trophisms
Coprinus filiformis
a fungus
Species 1 references
Coprinus foetidellus
an inkcap
Species 1 trophisms 1 references
Coprinus griseofoetidus
an inkcap
Species 1 trophisms 1 references
Coprinus nemoralis
an inkcap
Species 1 references
Coprinus stellatus
an inkcap
Species 1 trophisms
Coprinus sterquilinus
Midden Inkcap
Species 4 trophisms 1 references
Taxonomic hierarchy:
GenusCoprinus (inkcaps)
FamilyAGARICACEAE (mushrooms, dapperlings and parasols, puffballs and bird’s-nests)
OrderAGARICALES (mushrooms and toadstools)
SubclassAGARICOMYCETIDAE (a subclass of basidiomycetes)
ClassAGARICOMYCETES (a class of fungi)
SubphylumAGARICOMYCOTINA (a subphylum of fungi)
PhylumBASIDIOMYCOTA (spore droppers, basidiomycetes)
KingdomFUNGI (true fungi)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Coprinus (inkcaps)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Orton, P.D. & Watling, R. 1979 Coprinaceae: Coprinus British Fungus Flora, Vol 2, 149pp, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office
Orton, P.D. 1976 Notes on British Agarics VI Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Vol 35 No 1: 147-154.
Orton, P.D. 1976 Notes on British Agarics VI Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Vol 35 No 1: 147-154.
Orton, P.D. 1972 Notes on British Agarics IV Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Vol 32, No 1: 135-150.
Orton, P.D. 1957 Notes on British Agarics 1-5 (Observations on the genus Coprinus) TBMS Vol 40 (2): 263-276.
Schafer, D.J. 2010 Keys to sections of Parasola, Coprinellus, Coprinopsis and Coprinus in Britain Field Mycology Vol 11 (2): 44-51, rear cover.
Uljé, C.B. Genus Coprinus Pers. Arnolds, E. Genus Conocybe Fay., 60pp, Flora Agaricina Neerlandica 6
Uljé, K. Studies in Coprinus www.grzyby.pl/coprinus-site-Kees-Uljee/cindex.htm

Coprinus (inkcaps) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

General Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Kemp, R.F.O. 1985 A quick method of isolating desirable fungi such as Coprini into pure culture. Bull. Br. mycol. Soc. Vol 19 (1): 65-66.
Redhead, S.A. 2001 Bully for Coprinus - a story of manure, minutiae and molecules Field Mycology Vol 2 (4): 118-126.
Richardson, M. 2003 Coprophilous fungi Field Mycology Vol 4 (2): 41-43.

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may also be relevant to Coprinus (inkcaps):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 67 images of Coprinus (inkcaps)

The Inkcap toadstools are so-called because the black-spored gills, and often the caps too, liquify into an ink-like liquid. However, this has an ecological purpose: many of the species grow on transient substrates (eg dung) often with short-lived fruitbodies. The cap and gills liquify to rapidly dispose of the gill material and allow all the spores to be quickly released into the air. In the dung species the spores often have to survive on nearby grass until eaten by a herbivore. The spores are black because they are protected by thick heavily-pigmented walls.

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