inky cap

shaggy maneShaggy mane, or shaggy cap (Coprinus comatus).

inky cap, (genus Coprinus), genus of about 350 cosmopolitan mushroom species. Inky caps are so named for the disintegration of the mushroom cap into an inklike liquid following spore discharge. The inklike liquid has been used for writing. Inky caps grow on wood and dung. The caps of C. atramentarius and C. comatus (shaggy mane, or shaggy cap) are edible when young, before the gills turn black.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Order: Agaricales
Family: Agaricaceae
Genus: Coprinus

See also list of fungi

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

Citation Information

Article Title: inky cap

Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Date Published: 26 April 2024

URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/science/inky-cap

Access Date: March 10, 2025