Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)

Sometimes after a heavy rain, particularly in Fall, Shaggy Mane mushrooms may appear in the River Park, especially in open grassy areas. When they are fresh and young, they are tall and white with a slightly shaggy texture to the outside of the cap, and with age deliquesce (dissolve into a black inky liquid), starting at the bottom of the cap, until the entire cap of the mushroom becomes a shriveled black mass perched on top of a skinny stalk. Shaggy Mane is edible when it is fresh, but only a mushroom expert should take such a chance (and even then, I would not recommend eating wild mushrooms)!

Text and Photo by Robyn Waayers. Robyn has been a resident of San Diego County since 1977, and is a biology instructor at Palomar, Miramar and Southwestern Colleges, and is also a freelance nature photographer. Contact information: rwaayers@aol.com

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