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Coprinus comatus |
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Commonly referred to as either the Shaggy Ink Cap or the
Lawyer's Wig, Coprinus comatus is a large and conspicuous
edible fungus. It occurs in meadows, woods and roadside verges.
Identification guide |
Cap |
Initially egg-shaped and opening into a long
bell, the shaggy caps are at first pure white pale brown area at the top
that breaks up into large recurved scales. In dry weather the whole of
the cap breaks into pale flaking scales that stand out from the cap
surface. Rain flattens the scales, as has happened in the case of the
group shown here.
Typically 5 to 10 but occasionally 15 cm tall and up to 6 cm in diameter, the caps darken and then deliquesce from the lower edge, eventually leaving just the stipe with a very small black disc perched on top. |
Gills |
The adnexed to free gills are crowded and
initially white. They soon turn pink and then black before deliquescing
(liquefying) from the outside edge.
In this picture three large Shaggy Ink Caps have been reduced to little more than stems with small inky discs perched on the top. |
Stipe
|
The stem is parallel sided, 10 to 15 mm
diameter; white, quite brittle and hollow.
The stem ring becomes stained with black spores; it soon becomes movable and often falls down to the base of the stem. |
Spore print |
Black. |
Odour/taste |
Faint and quite pleasant, but not distinctive. |
Habitat |
On grass verges, at the edges of footpaths, and in open woodland; often in small groups and occasionally in long, wandering lines. |
Season |
April to November, but most plentiful in summer and autumn; they appear in greatest abundance soon after rain. |
Occurrence |
Frequent. |
Similar species |
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First Nature Multimedia
Guide to Fungi There is a lot more about this species and hundreds of other beautiful and fascinating mushrooms and toadstools on our CD-ROM for PCs with Internet Explorer. Details...
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