(Coprinus comatus)
Description
The shaggy inkcap fungus produces fruiting bodies with caps of around 5 to 15 cm diameter. Their stems grow to 10 – 30 cm in length, with a stem ring, and are smooth. The mushroom is white, with a cylindrical to bell-shaped cap and shaggy scales that look almost hair-like. Their gills are initially white, and turn to pink and then black as the mushroom ages. When the shaggy inkcap mushroom has grown and its gills have darkened, the edges begin to curl outwards and the mushroom starts to dissolve from the outer edge inwards. The mushroom produces a black spore print.
The shaggy inkcap can be found in Britain and Ireland as well as much of the rest of the European continent and in North America. They are a common species to see and produce mushrooms between May and November. They grow in grassland and woodland habitats, as well as in towns and gardens.
Folklore and uses
This species is also known as Judges wig or Lawyer’s wig due to it’s appearance.
Shaggy inkcap mushrooms can be eaten, but only when they are young and fresh.
They can also be used to make ink, as they dissolve into a black inky liquid that can be used to write or draw.
