# Shaggy Ink Cap (*Coprinus*)

The Shaggy Ink Cap looks like a little wizard's hat! It can change color and makes a black ink when it grows.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** In lawns and grassy areas
- **Also known as:** Lawyer's Wig, Shaggy Mane

![Shaggy Ink Cap](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425866/objects/5131.jpg)

## Appearance

The Shaggy Ink Cap is a tall, white mushroom with an elongated, shaggy cap covered in flaky scales. It starts out egg-shaped but soon bells out, darkening and dissolving into a black liquid 'ink' from the bottom edge upwards, which is visually distinct.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Basidiomycota
- **Class:** Agaricomycetes
- **Order:** Agaricales
- **Family:** Agaricaceae
- **Genus:** Coprinus

## Interesting facts

- Its 'ink' was once used to write letters and even sign important documents!
- The cap digests itself so fast that you must cook it within hours of picking!
- They often grow in groups, appearing like a small, white mushroom army.
- This mushroom prefers disturbed areas where the ground has been recently changed.

## Special abilities

- **Self-Liquefaction:** Shaggy Ink Cap can melt into a dark liquid because of special enzymes that help them release their spores into the environment.
- **Rapid Growth:** Shaggy Ink Cap has an ability to grow very quickly, sometimes appearing overnight, that helps them colonize new areas before competitors.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Edible:** edible
- **Size:** 3-10 cm
- **Growth Substrate:** soil
- **Season:** Spring to Fall
- **Spore Color:** Black

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs often graze on its young, tender caps.
- **Eaten by:** Fungus Gnat (*Sciara analis*) — Its larvae burrow into and feed on the mushroom.
- **Eats:** Perennial Ryegrass (*Lolium perenne*) — It breaks down dead grass roots in lawns and fields.

## Traits

- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick or eat anything you find. Some plants and mushrooms can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Shaggy Ink Cap?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Shaggy Ink Cap?

5-20 cm

### Is Shaggy Ink Cap edible?

edible

### How big is Shaggy Ink Cap?

3-10 cm

### Where is Shaggy Ink Cap usually found?

In lawns and grassy areas

### What does Shaggy Ink Cap grow on?

soil

### When is Shaggy Ink Cap in season?

Spring to Fall

### What color are Shaggy Ink Cap spores?

Black

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Shaggy Ink Cap: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shaggy-ink-cap)