Coprinus REFERENCES

NOVEMBER 2017, NO 4

Coprinus sp.

Habitat and distributionCoprinus comatus also known as the Shaggy ink capwas found growing in the open area located in the conif-erous and deciduous forest above the highway going to-wards Samdrup Jhongkhar and the BHU in Kanglung.The specimen was collected on September 21st, 2017 at5:03 pm exactly. The mushroom was completely hiddenby the plants around it and was growing in an open conif-erous forest. The soil was very loose and the location ofthe plant was in a dark area which was also dense anddamp. The mushroom was solitary and very fragile.

— Chimey Tenzin Yangchen, B.Sc. Life Sciences

General characteristicsCap of Coprinus comatus is ap-

proximately 3-15cm which can beoval or rounded during a young ageand growing to a bell shaped witha lifting margin along with largeshaggy scales. As it ages, the mush-room becomes black. The mushroomis whitish with the center beingbrown. Their odor is not distinctive(http://www.mushroomexpert.

com/coprinus_comatus.html).The gills are white which canbe free as well as closed. Theirstem is fibrous and hollow whiletheir flesh being soft and white(http://mushroom-collecting.com/mushroomshaggy.html). Themushroom before it turns blackis edible and has a mild taste(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinus_comatus).

Key characteristicsThe mushroom is distinct due

to its cylindrical cap covering halfof the stem. It consists of shaggyscales which are brown at theapex. Black and brown sporesare found and the flesh is whitein colour (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinus_comatus).

Photographs showing the habitat of Coprinus comatus, is found solitary and growing in an open forest on loose soil in a damp and dark environment . . .

Coprinus belongs to Agar- icaceae family under Basid- iomycetes.

References[1] CJ Alexopoulos, CW Mims, and M Blackwell. Phylum oomycota. Introductory mycology, 4:683–737, 1996.

[2] Penjor D. Mata, M. and S. Pradhan. Fungi of Bhutan. Ministry of Agriculture and Forest; National mushroom center., 2010edition.

Macrofungim Sherubtse College T +(975) 17624985 B Bimal K Chetri Page 1