Shaggy mane, m'learned gentlemen?

Lovely grouping of shaggy mane fungus (Coprinus comatus) in the Convent Garden this morning, writes Brian Byrne. It's also known as the shaggy ink cap or the lawyer's wig.

The species is apparently cultivated as a food in China, and is quite common in this part of the world.

Though edible when young, it decomposes spontaneously very quickly after picking, which doesn't make it attractive as a mushroom to bring home.

It shouldn't be confused with the magpie fungus, similarly shaped but with brown colourings, and poisonous.

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