Deconica coprophila

The fruitbody is a mushroom, with a cap atop a central stem. The smooth cap may grow to 25 millimetres across and is hemispherical when young but flattens to at least some degree with age.  It is viscid (unless conditions are dry) and dark orange brown when moist but the colour fades to yellow-brown with loss of moisture. A slight pimple protrudes from the centre of the cap. The gills are initially whiteish but become purplish brown as the spores mature. The stem (up to 40 x 2 millimetres) is brown but may have a whiteish, floury coating.

 A partial veil is present in the very early stages of development, but traces are absent or very hard to find once the cap has opened.

 Spore print: dark brown.

 This is a cosmopolitan species, found on the dung of a variety of herbivores. This species was formerly known as Psilocybe coprophila – and some would keep the species in that genus.

 Look-alikes

There are some similar dung-inhabiting Deconica/Psilocybe species, with some debate as to the differentiation of the species, so perhaps the sightings on Canberra Nature Map should be thought of as belonging to “Deconica coprophila group”. Protostropharia semiglobata (https://canberra.naturemapr.org/species/11077) keeps traces of a partial veil.