Coprinus is a large genera of Basidiomycetes who's members are often referred to as inky caps due to the way the caps auto digest allowing the spores to be released in a gooey, inky, mass. This species is one that is frequently found on dung, so it colonized and grew on our artificial agar poo-cube quite well! I believe the reason the mushroom grew from the bottom is that the poo-cube was seeded with the fungus while still in a beaker. When I removed the cube to place it on the Petri dish (up-side down), the mushroom primordial had already been formed and the growing stalk exited the cube via the slit at the bottom………the path of least resistance.
This is an 2 day, 11 hour time lapse movie of the inky cap mushroom, Coprinus sp., growing and senescing. Images were taken at 10 minute intervals
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