How to identify Harefoot Mushroom

To correctly identify Harefoot Mushroom (Coprinopsis lagopus), check each of these features in order. Misidentification is the most common cause of mushroom poisoning, so cross-reference multiple sources.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Cap

   Shape, color, surface texture, and diameter.

   Initially oval, then expands to a bell shape with shaggy, fibrous scales. Color ranges from whitish to grayish-brown. Deliquesces quickly, turning black and inky.

2. 2

   Gills

   Attachment to stem, color, and spacing.

   Crowded, free from the stem, starting white and turning black as they mature and deliquesce.

3. 3

   Stem

   Length, shape, surface, and any ring.

   Thin, fragile, and hollow. White to pale brown in color, smooth surface.

4. 4

   Flesh

   Color, texture, and bruising reaction.

   Thin and fragile, quickly deliquescing.

5. 5

   Fruiting body

   Overall growth pattern.

   Small and delicate, with a short lifespan.

6. 6

   Habitat

   Where it grows and on what substrate.

   Grows on decaying organic matter in grassy areas, gardens, and disturbed soil.

Key Facts

Cap surfaces

Shaggy, Fibrous

Growth Form

Solitary or in small groups

Spore Print

Black

Body color

Whitish to Grayish-Brown, Black when deliquescing

Odor

Indistinct

Flesh bruises

Not Applicable (Deliquescent)

Height

3-8 cm

Cap Diameter

1-4 cm

Fruit body characteristics

• Gill attachment: Free
• Stem shape: Cylindrical
• Stem surface: Smooth
• Ring: Absent
• Stem cross-section: Hollow

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