shaggy ink cap

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shaggy ink cap The common name for the fruit body of Coprinus comatus. The cap is initially white, with white or brownish scales, and initially oval, later becoming bell-shaped. It undergoes autodigestion (autolysis), dissolving from the edges into an inky-black fluid. The stipe bears a membranaceous, movable ring. It is common in fields, on grass banks, etc., often growing in clusters. It is edible when young.