Coprinus

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Coprinus

Coprinus comatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Agaricales
Family:	Agaricaceae
Genus:	Coprinus
Type species
Coprinus comatus (O.F. Müll.) Gray

Cross-section of a Coprinus mushroom gill, showing basidia (magnified 400×)

Coprinus is a small genus of mushrooms consisting of Coprinus comatus (the shaggy mane) and several of its close relatives. Until 2001, Coprinus was a large genus consisting of all agaric species in which the lamellae autodigested to release their spores. (The black ink-like liquid this would create gave these species their common name "inky cap".) Molecular phylogenetic investigation found that Coprinus comatus was only a distant relative of the other members of Coprinus, and was closer to genera in the Agaricaceae. Since Coprinus comatus is the type species of Coprinus, only that species and its close relatives C. sterquilinus and C. spadiceisporus retained the name of the genus.^[1]

The majority of species of Coprinus were therefore reclassified into three genera placed in Psathyrellaceae: Coprinellus, Coprinopsis, and Parasola.^[1] Coprinus and these segregate genera are now referred to collectively as coprinoid fungi.

Coprinus means "living on dung".

Species list

C. calyptratus
C. comatus (Shaggy inkcap)
C. spadiceisporus
C. sterquilinus

Selected former species

Coprinus atramentarius - now Coprinopsis atramentaria (Common inkcap)
Coprinus micaceus - now Coprinellus micaceus (Mica cap)
Coprinus plicatilis - now Parasola plicatilis

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Redhead SA, Vilgalys R, Moncalvo J-M, Johnson J, Hopple, JS. (2001). "Coprinus Pers. and the disposition of Coprinus species sensu lato". Taxon 50 (1): 203–41. doi:10.2307/1224525. JSTOR 1224525.

Pierre Montarnal : Le petit guide : Champignons (Genève, 1964; Paris-Hachette, 1969).
Régis Courtecuisse, Bernard Duhem : Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe (Delachaux & Niestlé, 1994–2000). ISBN 2-603-00953-2
Roger Phillips : Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain and Europe (Pan Books Ltd. 1981 / Book Club Associates 1981) - for the English names.

External links

"The Genus Coprinus: The Inky Caps" by Michael Kuo, MushroomExpert.com, February, 2005.
Studies in Coprinus: Coprinus site of Kees Uljé – taxonomy and keys to coprinoid fungi.
Fungus of the Month for May 2004: Coprinus comatus, the shaggy mane by Tom Volk, TomVolkFungi.net.

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