About Coprinopsis nivea (Pers.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo
Coprinopsis nivea is a small inkcap mushroom that grows in wetland environments. The cap measures 1.5–3 cm across; it starts out egg-shaped and expands to become bell-shaped (campanulate). When young, the cap is covered in white powdery fragments of the universal veil. The gills begin white, turn grey, and ultimately become black and deliquesce, meaning they dissolve into an ink-like black substance. They are crowded, and are either adnate or free in their attachment to the stem. The stem is 3–9 cm long and 4–7 mm in diameter. It is white, with a very slightly bulbous base that may have white tufts similar to those found on the cap. The spore print is black. Spores are flattened ellipsoid, smooth, and have a germ pore, measuring 15–19 by 8.5–10.5 μm. Both the taste and smell are indistinct. This species grows in small trooping or tufting groups on old dung, especially dung from cows and horses, and can be found from summer through late autumn. It is widespread and recorded quite regularly.
