Coprinus comatus, the
shaggy ink cap,
lawyer's wig, or
shaggy mane, is a common
fungus often seen growing on lawns, along gravel roads and waste areas. The young
fruit 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
gills beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black and secrete a black liquid filled with
spores (hence the “ink cap” name). This mushroom is unusual because it will turn black and dissolve itself in a matter of hours after being picked or depositing spores.