Coprinus

[flaxton]

This Coprinus was in wet woodland on a path. Poor quality photo and the fact that it was just black slime when I came to try and get some microscopic details makes it difficult but Could it be auricoma.
It was about 10 cm tall and the fully expanded cap 5cm across.





Thanks
Mal

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by flaxton

This Coprinus was in wet woodland on a path. Poor quality photo and the fact that it was just black slime when I came to try and get some microscopic details makes it difficult but Could it be auricoma.
It was about 10 cm tall and the fully expanded cap 5cm across.





Thanks
Mal

Hi Mal - yes, could be Coprinus auricomus or C. leiocephalus - you will have to do a thin section through the brown disc to see if there are thick walled setae in the flesh (which is diagnostic for C. auricomus), and of course have a look at the spores.

Nick

PS Using Coprinus as the genus since I can't be bothered to look up which of the new genera these are in - too late at night !

[flaxton]

Nick
Because the larger specimen had disintegrated I had all but given up on getting a definitive ID on this but I found that the smaller fruit-body had just dried to the bottom of the collecting box. With a drop of water hey presto


Its not a wonderfull photo but it does show the setae on central part of the cap.
I checked the spores in the box as well and I now have a confident Coprinus auricomus logged for my records

Mal

[cybershot]

As for the latest on this, to which Nick was alluding, and for your information Mal, I have extracted what the Checklist says on this interesting find of yours:

"Parasola auricoma (Pat.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Hopple, in Redhead, Vilgalys, Moncalvo, Johnson & Hopple, Taxon 50(1): 235 (2001)

Coprinus auricomus Pat., Tabl. analyt. Fung. France (Paris): 200 (1886)
Coprinus hansenii J.E. Lange, Dansk bot. Ark. 2(3): 48 (1915)

Habitat: Singly or in small groups on soil, in woodland and may be hugely abundant on woodchip mulch in parks and gardens.

Notes: Common and widespread but under-recorded, and often mistakenly identified as C. plicatilis. Possibly increasing with the use of woodchip mulch on flowerbeds in parks and gardens. The presence of thick walled brownish setae on the pileal disc is diagnostic."

Cheers

David

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by flaxton

Nick
Because the larger specimen had disintegrated I had all but given up on getting a definitive ID on this but I found that the smaller fruit-body had just dried to the bottom of the collecting box. With a drop of water hey presto


Its not a wonderfull photo but it does show the setae on central part of the cap.
I checked the spores in the box as well and I now have a confident Coprinus auricomus logged for my records

Mal

Hi Mal,

Isn't the microscopre a useful tool ?

Nick

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by mykonik

Hi Mal,

Isn't the microscopre a useful tool ?

Nick

It is when it's able to give such a definitive result

Mal

[fairplay]

Mal,

I'm curious as to how you went about taking the photo, did you just transfer the dried cap to a slide, add water and use a low power objective without bothering with a cover slip ? and did you use additional lighting from above somehow ?

It seems to me you have the whole cap there instead of taking a scalp, but it's the end result that counts.

Neil.

[CloudedYellow]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Mal,
I'm curious as to how you went about taking the photo, did you just transfer the dried cap to a slide, add water and use a low power objective without bothering with a cover slip ? and did you use additional lighting from above somehow ?

Me too!

Meanwhile I will add it to the A-Z. Thanks Mal

Richard

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Mal,

I'm curious as to how you went about taking the photo, did you just transfer the dried cap to a slide, add water and use a low power objective without bothering with a cover slip ? and did you use additional lighting from above somehow ?

It seems to me you have the whole cap there instead of taking a scalp, but it's the end result that counts.

Neil.

Neil(and Richard)
Although the largest cap had totally disintegrated the smaller had just dried out and was stuck to the bottom of a container(a margarine tub). I managed to scraped it off there intact and put it on a slide with a couple of drops of water. The photo was taken through the lens of the microscope with no additional lighting and no cover-slip.