- cap is up to 15cm wide, narrow, cylidrical, white, and covered in thin, shaggy red/brown scales.
- older specimens have a cap that is bell-shaped.
- flesh is white, soft.
- gills are narrowly attached to the stem and white/grey when young.
- the flesh and gills of older specimens liquefies into a black inky mass.
- partial veil leaves an inferior, possibly moveable ring on the white stem.
- grows scattered or grouped together in grassy areas covering decomposing wood.
- appears in early spring and late fall.
- has a pleasant taste with no odor; cook before eating.
- tip: collect younger specimens and/or remove blackening areas which have a more bitter taste.
- tip: cooking with water shortly after collecting helps to prevent the dish from turning into a black inky mess.
- an edible look-alike is Coprinus sterquilinus, which similar in appearance but smaller, with fewer scales and growing on dung.
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