Coprinus Sterquilinus on:
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''Coprinus sterquilinus'', the midden ink cap, is a
''C. sterquilinus'' has an ellipsoid or ovoid cap, some by when closed, becoming conical and then flattening out to a width of . It is white, flocculous and fibrillose when young, becoming more scaly with a creamy centre as it matures. There are more than fifty gills, white at first, turning to grey and then black. The stipe or stem is slender, tall, with a moveable ring just above the slightly bulbous base. The spores are ellipsoid and very large at 17–26 by 10–15 µm, very dark reddish-brown to black.
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of fungus in the family Agaricaceae
The Agaricaceae are a family of basidiomycete fungi and include the genus ''Agaricus'', as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae.
Taxonomy
The family Agaricaceae was publishe ...
. It grows on animal dung and occurs in Europe, Asia and America.
Description
''C. sterquilinus'' has an ellipsoid or ovoid cap, some by when closed, becoming conical and then flattening out to a width of . It is white, flocculous and fibrillose when young, becoming more scaly with a creamy centre as it matures. There are more than fifty gills, white at first, turning to grey and then black. The stipe or stem is slender, tall, with a moveable ring just above the slightly bulbous base. The spores are ellipsoid and very large at 17–26 by 10–15 µm, very dark reddish-brown to black.
Distribution and habitat
The species has an extensive range in Europe, Asia and America, but is uncommon. It grows in dung and on manure heaps, particularly on horse manure.Biology
''Coprinus sterquilinus'' is closely related to the shaggy ink cap (''Coprinus comatus''). Both share the characteristic of the genus to autodigest; starting at the base of the gills, the spores develop and discharge, and the dischargedbasidia
A basidium () is a microscopic sporangium (a spore-producing structure) found on the hymenophore of fruiting bodies of basidiomycete fungi which are also called tertiary mycelium, developed from secondary mycelium. Tertiary mycelium is highly-c ...
and the supporting hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one or ...
e produce enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
s which dissolve the tissues, and these drip from the base of the gills as a black liquid (which can be used as ink).
Research
The stipe is a hollow cylinder with thin walls. It is slender and rather brittle but is strong in its longitudinal axis. This can be seen in the way that the cap is pushed through dung or even asphalt, and the caps scarcely sway, even in a gale. In an experiment, one fruit body lifted , giving an upward pressure of the stipe of two thirds of an atmosphere. This pressure is generated by the turgor pressure of the cells forming the thin walls of the stipe.References
External links
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q10680935 Agaricaceae