Fungi with Gills 
Shaggy-mane; Horsetail: Maned Agaric 
(Edible) 
Coprinus comatus (Sex Paces 1, v, viii) 
Cap or Pileus—Cylindrical or barrel-shaped; becoming bell-shaped 
or expanded, with split margins, when old. Colour of the 
buttons or young plants dark; but that of the older forms 
white, flecked with dark patches or scales. Surface shaggy. 
14-3 inches long before expansion. 
Stem or Stipe—White, smooth, hollow. 3-4 inches long. 
fing or Anrulus—Slightly adherent, or movable in the young 
plant ; later lying on the ground at the base of the stem, 
or wholly disappearing. 
Gills or Lamelle—Crowded. White, then tinged with pink ; 
finally black, and dripping an inky fluid. 
Spores—Black, elliptical. 
Flesh—Fragile, tender, digestible, with nutty flavour. 
Time—Autumn. 
Habitat—Loose, rich earth. By roadsides, in pastures, and in 
dumping grounds. 
If one study the specimens of the shaggy-mane from the 
time it pushes its little brown head above the ground until, as a 
tall black umbrella, it melts away into inky blackness, he will 
find much that is beautiful and interesting. 
A little brown button may be cut with a sharp knife through- 
out its length to show the unexpanded gills lying close to the 
part which is afterwards to become the stem. 
An older button cut in the same way will show the gills 
Separated from the stem and the outer cover of the cap at the 
lower end of the gills joined to the stem. Astill older specimen 
will show the connection of the outer cover broken loose from 
the base of the gill and the torn part still remaining on the stem 
as a temporary collar. 
The outer layer of brown threads which covers the button 
will be found to break as the threads within expand, and to re- 
main in the older specimens on the surface as patches of brown 
threads. Underlying these are broken white threads which in a 
younger stage, unbroken, formed a white cover under the brown. 
It is these loosely hanging threads which give the shaggy ap- 
pearance to the cap of the mature plants and which have 
suggested the names of shaggy-mane, horsetails, and comatus 
(comatus, in Latin, meaning hairy). 
Co-ma’-tiis 
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