Concave Translucent Mushrooms

A few days ago I noticed some of these on a pile of wood-chips in the woods between Farnborough North and Frimley stations.  I also noticed that they seemed to change form between the mornings and the afternoons.  I have tentatively identified them as Coprinus lagopus, a type of ink-cap mushroom.  In the mornings their stems are straight (up to 12cm long) and their caps neat little inverted translucent grey umbrellas (up to 5cm across), as shown above.  By the late afternoon, the stems have drooped and the caps are ragged, shrivelled and blackened, as shown below.

However, by the afternoon, the next day's mushrooms are already thrusting their heads up:

Comments

[Jonathan Silvertown]

I was pointed to your blog by a user on iSpot. Your photos are wonderful, and I especially like that you put names to everything, which is what iSpot is all about.

[Roofscape Magazine]

Hi Tristam ...

These mushrooms have been appearing for years in Roofscape's trial gardenn in Boston, USA.

We quoted your entry in Roofscape Garden Journal for 1/4/10 ...
http://roofscapegardenjournal.blogspot.com/2010/01/mushrooms-in-roofscapes-garden.html

I like your images and writing. Would you be interested in doing something for Roofscape? ...
http://roofscapemagazine.com

I can be reached at ...
roofscape@gmail.com

Thanks ... Stephen Bastide, Roofscape Magazine.

[Keith]

I am trying to start a mushroom garden. I got 10 yards of free fresh wood chips because I agreed to take the whole load. After making a 12 by 12 bed of chips I put fungus from a kit down. They called them Composter Mushrooms but I think they are "Stropharia rugosoannulata". After a month under a tarp I am getting what I think is "Coprinus" popping up like mad, but none of the "Wine Cap" mushrooms.

[Snowflake70]

I live in Crescent City California near the Oregon boarder on the coast and found a collection of these under (of all things) a Redwood tree. Typically few fungal species live under them as they have a natural fungicide. I have only been in this area for about 3 years and this is the first time - beautiful but am not certain without my own MD if they are edible ? Little help ?

*70

[Ingrid]

These beautiful mushrooms were growing on a damp mulch pile where I threw some waste from my chicken coop. Thank you for the photos and nomenclature.

[Lola]

I found one of these a few months ago in Westminster, Ma. I didnt have my camera with me and when I returned with it the mushroom disappeared. I found another one today and I got a great picture of it I just can't figure out how to upload it here.