Coprinus cortinatus
Coprinus cortinatus J.E. Lange growing on horse manure.
Credit: Rui Oliveira Costa
Source: Mushroom Observer (licensed cc-by-nc-sa 3.0).
Classification
Kingdom Fungi
Phylum Basidiomycota
Class Basidiomycetes
Order Agaricales
Family Agaricaceae
Genus Coprinus
Common name
Kleine poederinktzwam (Dutch)
Description
Cap: up to 6 mm high and 5 mm wide, up to 15 mm when expanded; at first globose, subglobose to ellipsoid, completely covered with powdery white veil, often cream to pale ochraceous at center, later convex to flat, finally with slightly deflexed margin; veil at margin, especially in early stage, somewhat more hairy-floccose, veil graying with age.
Gills: free, up to 2 mm wide, white, somewhat hyaline; at base up to 3.5mm wide, often brownish, with white velar flocks.
Odor: none
Spore print: dark chocolate brown.
Spores: 6.0-9.5 x 4.5-6.0 µm, ellipsoid, sometimes slightly almond-shaped, with rounded base and apex, dark red-brown.
Habitat: solitary or in small groups, on bare soil or in grassy or mossy places, usually under shrubs or trees.
Description adapted from Bas, 1988, pp. 98-99 (Google book preview).
Medicinal Properties
Antitumor effects
Polysaccharides extracted from the mycelial culture of C. cortinatus and administered intraperitoneally into white mice at a dosage of 300 mg/kg inhibited the growth of Sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich solid cancers by 70% and 60%, respectively (Ohtsuka et al., 1973).
References
Bas C. (1988).
Flora Agaricina Neerlandica: Critical monographs on families of agarics and boleti occurring in the Netherlands. Vol 6. (ME Noordeloos, TH Kuyper, EC Vellinga, Eds.).
Taylor and Francis.
Ohtsuka S, Ueno S, Yoshikumi C, Hirose F, Ohmura Y, Wada T, Fujii T, Takahashi E.
Polysaccharides having an anticarcinogenic effect and a method of producing them from species of Basidiomycetes.
UK Patent 1331513, 26 September 1973.
Last modified: 17-Aug-2008
