Today I spotted a large amount of Shaggy Ink Caps in a lawn nearby my work.
I've seen them before, but never seen so many of them together.
Some of them were intact but others had already perished.
I decided to look them up on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinus_comatus
) and found some interesting facts.
A young Shaggy Ink Cap
As Ink Caps turn older they start to perish. Their cap starts curling and turn into a black substance. That's where the name Ink Cap comes from. I've actually seen pictures of people using the substance as Ink.
The picture above shows some young and old Ink caps. As long as they are white they are edible. But you should prepare them quickly after picking.
Then they turn black you shouldn't eat them anymore. But then....who wants to eat this...
But the most amazing fact I learnt about these mushrooms is that they are carnivores.
They feed on nematodes or roundworms.