Coprinus

The genus 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].

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The majority of species of Coprinus were therefore reclassified into the genera Coprinellus, Coprinopsis, and Parasola. Coprinus and these segregate genera are now referred to collectively as coprinoid fungi.

Species list

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

Selected former species

• Coprinus atramentarius - now Coprinopsis atramentaria
• Coprinus plicatilis - now Parasola plicatilis

References

• 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.