Spore Print: Black Habitat: Grows on wood Edibility: Edible Comments: This mushroom is very common in most all parks in the city. It's usually found around the base of living and dead trees - the one thing you should realize is that most dogs use trees in the parks to relieve themselves! Because of this, I would never eat this mushroom if I found them in the city around trees. Sometimes it will grow in the grass but usually on dead roots or buried wood. Like most Coprinus, it matures and 'dissolves' into a black mass of 'goo'! The technical term for this is 'delequesce', which is characteristic of the genus Coprinus. This mushroom is called the 'Glistening Inky Cap' because when the mushrooms are very young there is what appears to be glitter on the surface of the cap that glistens brilliantly when held in direct sunlight. A good rain can wash off this 'glitter'. I've eaten this mushroom and the taste is mild. It's a small mushroom but can grow in large groups. It shouldn't be eaten after the gills turn black. For beginners, stay away from this mushroom as it could be confused with many 'LBMs' (Little Brown Mushrooms!)
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