Mushrooms of the Hay Bale

I have recently noticed some mushrooms occasionally growing from the hay bale we've been using to fill our garden beds. Around the third time they appeared I became interested in identifying them. Since then I've been searching madly, obsessed with my quest for answers. I have learned that mushroom identification is a tricky thing indeed, usually requiring a microscope and DNA testing for truly conclusive results. However, I feel that my diligence has adequately paid off for the time being. My study shall continue, with the help of some highly recommended books: Mushrooms Demystified and All That the Rain Promises and More, both by David Arora. For now, I bring you the Coprinus, commonly called an inky cap. I am as yet unsure of the species, but Coprinus fimetarius or Coprinus cinereus just feels right. It could just as well be wrong; further study is needed. I have had great difficulty finding helpful mushroom identification websites, so I expect to have better luck with books. Most websites devoted to the subject are more oriented to the most common edibles or the psychotropic varieties. It has been a bit frustrating. The sites that I finally found helpful are: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/ and http://www.svims.ca/

The catch to inky caps is that they are very short-lived. It rained yesterday, so I looked for them this morning. They were already reaching the end of their lifespan. Had it rained last night instead, I could have found much fresher specimens. The caps have turned to goo; the spores have spread. The End... this time around, anyway. Thanks to our friend, Jones, we have borrowed a swanky Nikon D3000; and we are able to take high quality pictures with clear detail.

The stem is delicate and hollow.

This is what you get from handling the caps: ink.

This is what happens when you try to take a spore print from an overly mature cap: a fine mess. The cap hasn't been removed but is curling up and dissolving.

The uses vary from one species to another. Obviously, an ink can be made from the caps. Some types are edible, although very mild in flavor. These don't smell mushroomy, but rather fresh, like dew. Some are edible, yet poisonous if mixed with alcohol, even up to three days after time of mushroom ingestion. Some have anti-tumor properties. Some may nutritionally enrich the medium in which they grow. I don't think any are deadly, as very few mushrooms truly are. But feeling sick can certainly outweigh any positive experience you may have upon tasting them. Don't eat something if you aren't certain what it is. I feel this to be universally wise advice.