Tag: Coprinus comatus

Life and death of a mushroom family

It’s mushroom season on the Oregon coast. My yard and the woods around us are full of them. This week, I’m sharing photos of mushrooms Annie and I found on our walk. The whole series of photos took place in less than a week. These are Coprinus comatus, also known as Ink Cap mushrooms. They’re edible, but you have to catch them quickly because they blossom and die in only a few days.

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They started out as vertical white bulbs, a big one and several others in a row.
Mushrooms black inks cropped
On the second day, the big mushroom had opened and turned black and the little ones were opening like little black-rimmed umbrellas.
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On the fourth day, they were beginning to sag and one had fallen down. By the fifth day, all had fallen, their blooming over. What’s left has merged into the pine needles.