Coprinopsis lagopus

Description

Coprinopsis lagopus is a saprobic mushroom that grows solitarily or in groups. It commonly grows on wood chips, leaf litter, compost heaps, humus-rich soil, vegetable wastes, etc. It is widely distributed throughout the world.

Until 2001, the species was known as Coprinus lagopus; advances in the understanding of phylogenetic relationships between the various coprinoid species led to a major reorganization of that genus. It is a delicate and short-lived fungus, the fruit bodies lasting only a few hours before dissolving into a black ink – a process called deliquescence. The vague resemblance of the young fruit body to the paw of a white rabbit has earned this species the common name harefoot mushroom.

Common names: Foot Inkcap, Woolly Inkcap, Harefoot Mushroom.

Mushroom Identification

1. Cap

   Up to 1.57 inches (4 cm) across when mature; starts small and oval, expanding to broadly convex or bell-shaped, and eventually flat; gray to black; initially covered with silvery hairs that break into patches and may disappear as it grows; edges split as the gills dissolve.

2. Gills

   Attached to the stem; crowded; pale at first, turning gray, then blackish; dissolve into black "ink" or collapse in dry weather.

3. Stem

   Up to 0.79 inches (2 cm) long and 0.20 inches (0.5 cm) thick; hollow, fragile, and white; densely hairy at first, especially near the base, sometimes nearly smooth when mature.

4. Spore Print

   Black or blackish.

5. Habitat

   Saprobic, growing alone or in groups on decaying wood or woody debris in forests, or occasionally in urban areas; found in spring, summer, and fall (or winter in California); widely distributed and common in North America.

Look-Alikes

1. Coprinopsis nivea

   In the early stages, when the caps are 'furry' like hare feet, these inkcaps can be mistaken for Coprinopsis nivea (Snowy Inkcap), which grows on dung and sometimes on rotting straw.

Bioactive Compounds

1. Polysaccharides

   A β-glucan polysaccharide was isolated from the purified mycelial walls of C. lagopus. Methylation analysis revealed that the glucan contains β-1,3-linked glucose units with about 14% of the sugars having 1,6-linked branch points (Schaefer, 1977).

2. Lectins

   Mycelial extracts were shown to agglutinate erythrocytes of several animal species, including humans (Banerjee et al., 1982). Agglutination was partially inhibited nonspecifically by high concentrations of monosaccharides glucose, galactose, mannose, fucose, and rhamnose.

Medicinal Properties

1. Antitumor activity

   Polysaccharides extracted from the mycelial culture of C. lagopus and administered intraperitoneally into white mice at a dosage of 300 mg/kg inhibited the growth of Sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich solid cancers by 100% and 90%, respectively (Ohtsuka et al., 1973).

2. Antibacterial activity

   The compounds lagopodins A and B, found in Coprinopsis lagopus, act as antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria. Lagopodin A is active when R and R' are hydrogen, and lagopodin B is active when R is hydroxyl (OH) and R' is hydrogen. Additionally, Coletto et al. (2000) reported that both the mycelia and culture filtrate of C. lagopus are effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Questions and Answers

1. Is it Harmful to Human Consumption if Present in the Cucumber Bed?

   Coprinopsis lagopus will not harm your cucumber plants, as they are saprophytic mushrooms that decompose organic matter and contribute to soil health. It's advisable to wear gloves when handling them in the garden and to wash your hands thoroughly afterward to avoid any potential skin irritation or allergic reactions. Try to remove the mushrooms before they come into contact with your cucumber fruits.

History

The Hare'sfoot Inkcap was scientifically described in 1821 by Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries, who named it Agaricus lagopus. Many gilled fungi were initially placed in the Agaricus genus, but most have since been moved to other genera, leaving a smaller number known as the 'true mushrooms.' Experts believe this name covers a complex of similar species. In 1838, Fries renamed it Coprinus lagopus, and it was known by this name until 2001. Molecular DNA analysis then revealed that the Coprinus genus contained unrelated fungi, leading to the reclassification of the Hare'sfoot Inkcap into the genus Coprinopsis within the family Psathyrellaceae.

The name Coprinopsis suggests similarity to Coprinus, which means 'living on dung,' fitting for many inkcaps, including this species.

The specific epithet lagopus comes from Greek, with 'lagos' meaning hare and 'pous' meaning foot, hence the common name.

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Holger Krisp (CC BY 3.0)

Photo 2 - Author: johnsteel (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Grzegorz "Spike" Rendchen (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Sara Hollerich Giles (Public Domain)