Fungus
Hare's Foot Inkcap
Coprinopsis lagopusAlso known as Harefoot Mushroom, Rabbit's Foot Inky Cap, Hare's Foot Mushroom
Hare's foot inkcap emerges rapidly from woodland leaf litter and wood chips, initially covered in dense, white, fur-like veil fibers that resemble a rabbit's paw. As the delicate grey cap expands and matures over just a few hours, its edges curl upward and self-digest into a black, spore-laden liquid. This brief lifecycle allows the fungus to swiftly decompose organic material and cycle nutrients back into forest soils after heavy rains.
FungusDeliquescentDecomposer
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySaprotrophic
Predators
- Fungus gnats
- Slugs
- Springtails
ThreatsHabitat clearance, severe soil disturbance
HabitatsWoodlands, mulch beds, leaf litter, compost heaps
Life spanA few hours to 1 day
Classification
- OrderAgaricales
- FamilyPsathyrellaceae
- GenusCoprinopsis
- SpeciesCoprinopsis lagopus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Timing Visits: Look early in the morning after wet weather before fruit bodies dissolve.
- Macro Photography: Focus on the fine white hairy veil before the cap opens.
- Habitat Spotting: Inspect fresh wood chips, bark mulch, and shaded leaf litter.
Related Inky Cap (c) Tom Norton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Norton · cc-by
Close Relative James Lindsey / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Squeezyboy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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