cinerea

Gray Shag

Coprinopsis cinerea is a small to medium-sized agaric mushroom belonging to the family Psathyrellaceae. It is characterized by a bell-shaped cap that rapidly expands and flattens, eventually deliquescing (turning into black ink) as it matures, a process known as autodigestion. The cap is initially covered in a white, woolly universal veil that breaks apart into patches on the gray to grayish-brown surface. The gills are crowded, starting white and turning black with spore maturity. This species is renowned in the scientific community as a model organism for studying fungal genetics, meiosis, and mushroom development due to its short life cycle (approximately 2 weeks) and ease of cultivation on defined media. In nature, it is coprophilous, typically found growing on dung, compost, or rich organic debris. While often overlooked as a culinary mushroom due to its small size and rapid decay, it is edible when young and is harvested in some regions.