About Coprinus calyptratus Peck
Coprinus calyptratus is a small inkcap mushroom with white flesh. It has a distinctive star-shaped veil remnant on its cap. The cap measures 4 to 6 centimeters across; it starts egg-shaped and fully covered by a veil, then expands to become bell-shaped. As it ages, the cap may flatten or curl upwards at the edges. Its gills are free, crowded, and quickly turn black as they mature. The stem is 5 to 15 centimeters tall and 0.5 to 1 centimeter thick. It has no ring, grows deep into the ground, roots into soil, and ends in a small basal bulb. Its spores are subellipsoid or subovoid with a large pore, and measure 17-20 by 10-12 micrometers. Both the taste and smell of this species are indistinct. This mushroom is primarily found on the West Coast of the United States. It grows on disturbed sandy soil, where the bulbous base of its deep rooting stem may be hidden. It is slightly smaller than the well-known species Coprinus comatus, and is distinguished by the star-shaped patch of universal veil remnant at the center of its cap.
