FUNGIFRIDAY: THE MAGICAL GLOW OF COPRINELLUS MICACEUS

The mushroom season is still in full swing, and as a passionate mushroom hunter, I never miss a chance to wander through the forest. This time I ended up in a German forest quite by accident. My plan was just a short stop — a quick coffee break before continuing the route — but fate had other plans. A long traffic jam appeared ahead, and it didn’t make sense to move on. So, I stayed on that parking lot, right next to a small forest.

It wasn’t the easiest one to walk through — full of bushes, uneven ground, and narrow animal paths — but it was enough to enjoy the smell of damp soil and discover some interesting species. Among them was the shimmering beauty of the day: COPRINELLUS MICACEUS, known in English as the mica cap or shimmering inky cap.

This mushroom usually grows in clusters on decaying wood — old trunks, buried roots, or even wooden debris hidden under the soil. Its name “mica” comes from the tiny golden or silvery particles covering the cap, giving it a sparkling, almost magical look when sunlight hits it.

🍄 Did you know?
The inky caps (Coprinellus species) have a fascinating trait called deliquescence — as they mature, their gills start to dissolve into a black, ink-like liquid. Centuries ago, people actually used this natural ink for writing! However, the shimmering inky cap is not just beautiful but also fragile — it appears suddenly after rain and disappears within a day or two.

Nature always rewards curiosity. What started as an unplanned stop turned into a quiet forest walk and a beautiful encounter with one of the most ephemeral mushrooms I’ve ever photographed.