SHAGGY MANE (Coprinus comatus) - Summer and Fall - The shaggy mane or lawyer's wig is so large that with a little practice you can identify it.

The cap of a fresh specimen is a long, white cylinder with shaggy, upturned, brownish scales. The gills are whitish, and the entire mushroom is fragile and crumbles easily. Most important, as the shaggy mane matures, the cap and gills gradually dissolve into a black, inky fluid, leaving only the standing stalk. Size 4" to 6" tall, sometimes larger.

Grows during the spring in grass, soil or wood chips.

Shaggy manes should be picked before the caps begin to turn black.

Shaggy manes are delicate and should be picked young and eaten the same day.