A small, pure white inky cap of cow and horse dung, covered when young in a white, mealy veil. The egg-shaped cap opens to a bell or umbrella shape and the gills dissolve into black ink. It is a dung specialist found in pastures and stable areas.
Europe, where it is common in Scandinavia and northern mainland Europe, rarer in the south, and infrequent in Britain and Ireland. Recorded from parts of North America, including Colorado and Texas.
Characteristics
Cap: 2-5 cm across when open, egg-shaped becoming bell-shaped or flattened, sometimes splitting at the margin; white, covered with a white mealy or powdery veil. Gills: free, crowded, white becoming gray then black and deliquescing. Stem: up to about 9 cm long, 4-7 mm thick, white, cylindrical, slightly thickened and cottony at the base. Spore print: black. Spores: 14-19 x 11-13 µm, ellipsoid to lemon-shaped, smooth (First Nature).
