FUNGI FRIDAY : THE LITTLE ONES IN THE SHADOWS

It’s been a while since I last posted for FungiFriday 🍄 Time to fix that!

They say for true mushroom lovers the season never ends.
Well… I’m still not quite a pro in the world of fungi, even though I keep learning and improving my knowledge bit by bit. So I have to settle for mushrooms I find in the peak autumn season.
And today I would like to share with you a few shots of a tiny one I found in a forest in Germany.

Meet COPRINELLUS MICACEUS – also known as the mica cap.

This small, fragile mushroom often grows in tight clusters at the base of trees, old stumps or even buried wood you can’t see. It belongs to the ink cap family and is famous for its shimmering golden particles on the cap surface, which look like glitter or tiny crystals when seen up close, especially in morning light or after rain.

Young specimens have rounded, bell-shaped caps that slowly open and flatten as they mature. The edges become ragged and start to decompose quickly. These mushrooms don’t last long. In fact, they can collapse within hours after releasing their spores. So you really have to catch them at the right moment and I did it! I found these little ones growing quietly in the shade under leaves, almost invisible unless you really look.

Although they’re technically edible when very young, they’re not considered a good choice because they spoil fast and can cause stomach upset, especially when consumed with alcohol – due to the presence of compounds similar to those found in Coprinopsis atramentaria (the infamous "inky cap").

@ladytruckview

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