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Coprinus comatus, the shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane, is a common fungus
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 often seen growing on lawns, along gravel roads and waste areas. The young fruiting bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The caps are white, and covered with scales - this is the origin of the common names of the fungus.






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Coprinus comatus, the shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane, is a common fungus
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 often seen growing on lawns, along gravel roads and waste areas. The young fruiting bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The caps are white, and covered with scales - this is the origin of the common names of the fungus. The gill
Gill (mushroom)

A gill, or lamella, is a papery hymenophore rib under the cap of a mushroom, most often but not always an agaric. As fungi are studied in more detail, several other types of fungi exhibit gills while not members of the Agaricales....
s beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black and secrete a black liquid filled with spores (hence the “ink cap” name). Its specific name derives from coma, or “hair”, hence comatus, “haired” or “shaggy”.

When young it is an excellent edible mushroom provided that it is eaten soon after being collected (it keeps very badly because of the autodigestion of its gills and cap). The species is cultivated
Fungiculture

Fungiculture is the process of producing food, medicine, and other products by the cultivation of mushrooms and other fungi.The word is commonly used to refer to the practice of cultivating fungi by leafcutter ants, termites, ambrosia beetles, and marsh snails....
 in China as food.

Coprinus comatus is the type species for the genus Coprinus
Coprinus

The genus Coprinus is a small genus of mushrooms consisting of Coprinus comatus and several of its close relatives. Until 2001, Coprinus was a large genus consisting of all agaric species in which the lamellae autodigested to release their spores....
. This genus was formerly considered to be a large one with well over 100 species. However, molecular analysis of DNA sequences showed that the former species belonged in 2 families, the Agaricaceae
Agaricaceae

The Agaricaceae is a family of basidiomycete fungi and includes the genus Agaricus, as well as basidiomycetes previously classified in the families Tulostomataceae, Lepiotaceae, and Lycoperdaceae....
 and the Psathyrellaceae
Psathyrellaceae

The Psathyrellaceae is a family of dark-spored agarics that generally have rather soft, fragile fruiting bodies, and are characterized by black or dark brown, rarely reddish, or even pastel colored spore prints....
. Coprinus comatus is the best known of the true Coprinus. Adding to its unusual features, a recent study has found the shaggy ink cap kills nematode
Nematode

The "roundworms" or "nematodes" are the most diverse phylum of body cavity, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 80,000 have been described, of which over 15,000 are parasite....
 species Panagrellus redivivus
Panagrellus redivivus

The free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus is known to many aquarium enthusiasts and Fishkeeping as the microworm. It is a tiny roundworm used as the first food for minuscule newly-hatched fish, such as the popular pet fish Siamese fighting fish....
 and Meloidogyne arenaria
Meloidogyne arenaria

Meloidogyne arenaria is a plant pathogenic nematode.External links * ...
. See also nematophagous fungus
Nematophagous fungus

Nematophagous fungi are carnivorous fungus specialized in trapping and digesting nematodes. Around 160 species are known. There exist both species that live inside the nematodes from the beginning and others that catch them mostly with glue traps or in rings, some of which constrict on contact....
.

Description

The shaggy ink cap is easily recognizable from its cap which initially covers almost the whole of its stem. Entirely white to begin with, the cap becomes shaggy as separating scales develop. The gills change rapidly from white to pink, then to black. It is deliquescent. Microscopically it lacks pleurocystidia.

Distribution and habitat

It grows in groups in places which are often unexpected, such as green areas in towns. It occurs widely in grasslands and meadows in Europe and North America. It appears to have been introduced to Australia, New Zealand and Iceland.

Growth

The left image below shows a young mushroom. The right image shows the same specimen 24 hours later. 'Ink' can be seen dripping from the gills.

Edibility

The young mushrooms, before the gills start to turn black, are edible. It can sometimes be used in mushroom soup with parasol mushroom
Parasol mushroom

The parasol mushroom is a basidiomycota fungus with a large, prominent fruiting body resembling a lady's parasol. It is a fairly common species on well-drained soils....
.

External links

  • by Michael Kuo, MushroomExpert.com, February, 2005.
  • – taxonomy and keys to coprinoid fungi.
  • by Tom Volk, TomVolkFungi.net.
  • by Michael Kuo, MushroomExpert.com, September, 2001.
  • , MykoWeb.com.
  • by Louise Freedman, MykoWeb.com.
  • by Robert Sasata, Healing-Mushrooms.net, September, 2007.