Singing Cap

Singing caps are small prehensile mushrooms that grow exclusively in the Phosphorian Caves in southern Tropacia. They grow up to 20cm long, growing from the ceilings downwards. They are famous for, and named after, the sounds they make when the cap shakes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Singing caps have a long stem, up to 20cm long when fully grown. The stem is a light blue, and the cap is a purplish, with a bright pink bioluminescent glow. The gills are a deep magenta, and are very tightly packed, up to two hundred in a single cap. The roots of the mushroom goes very deep into the ground, in search of minerals, water, and to prevent falling off the ceiling.

Genetics and Reproduction

Singing caps produce spores throughout their lifetime. When they are ready to release their spores, the cap shakes, which lets out all the spores to float onto the ceiling, and grow new mushrooms.
Usually, the mushroom produces about a hundred million spores a day, but very few get to grow into a new mushroom, with less than 0.0000001% chance of a spore turning into a new mushroom.

Growth Rate & Stages

When a spore germinates, the cap grows first, as they do for most, if not all prehensile mushrooms. The cap grows to about 5cm wide before the stem will start to appear. The stem will continue growing until it reaches about 20cm, then it will stop and start to produce spores.
Full growth can occur in as little as a week after the spore germinates.

Ecology and Habitats

The singing cap grows in the phosphorian caves, a large cave system in the south of Tropacia. They grow in the tunnels and large dens, with enough space to grow to their full length.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Singing caps have receptors along their stem and cap, which can detect something, or someone touching it. When this happens, the cap activates a defence tactic, where it will begin to shake and create a loud sound. This sound deters many creatures, but sounds melodic for many sapient species, which gives them reason to grow them inside their own houses.
This tactic is supposed to work when an insect lands on it, and tries to eat it, with reasonable success.

Geographic Distribution

• Greenerth
• Phosphorian Caves
• Tropics