Allotments 4 All

You must be fed up with peeps asking!! But what is this? And can I eat it!!! Have loads around the hedgerow at lottie! If it's edible, could be an official glut!!! Lottie  ;D

It's a shaggy cap or lawyer's wig, Coprinus comatus. I haven'ttried it, but according to one of my books it's edible and 'very good' with a delicate taste. Another species, C. atramentarius, contains the active ingredient of antabuse tablets,and should not be consumed with alcohol. My other book puts the whole genus down as inedible, with no further comment. It won't be poisonous, but it might not be so nice either, I just don't know.

Hi Lottie!

I'm pretty sure Robert's right and its a Lawyers Wig inkcap (Coprinus comatus). I collect these every year and they are really quite tasty! However, as soon as you pick them they will start to deteriorate and quickly turn into a black mush (ink) which is infact the spores. This can happen quite quickly so its best to use them within a couple of hours of picking.

You can tell that its the Lawyers Wig inkcap (Coprinus comatus) because of the following COMBINED features:
1) The cap colour should be white to pinkish. The magpie inkcap (inedible) looks similar  but has a black and white pattern on the cap.
2) Stem ring- towards the bottom of the photo, and slightly hidden by the grass, you can see a ring of flesh round the stem, this may be loose and varies in colour and is a good way to identify the Lawyers Wig inkcap.
3) The flesh should smell pleasant and not fetid!

Looks like your safe to eat them. Just make sure you don't eat the black parts and try and pick the youngest ones. Congratulations on your find they are quite tasty shrooms and the best of the inkcaps!

I forgot to add that there is a similar looking species which is inedible called the snow-white inkcap (Coprinus niveus) . However, these are generally much smaller with the stem at maturity usually no longer than 8cm....and I only ever find these on fresh horse manure, so again your safe.

Enjoy!

lottie its a toadstool i have some fairy's to go with it if you like  ;D ;D ;D

Thanks Robert and Truffle, going to try them tomorrow, if don't hear from me, I did have a sneaky horse about after all...... ;) Will pick and cook straight away, grilling or frying best? And Dibs.....think we've both got our fair share of fairies...... ;D ;D ;D Lottie

maybe more fairies then others in fact i think i am away with the fairies ;D ;D ;D ;D

Oooo don't forget postcard! And ask them, where do they put all those teeth??? Lottie  ;D

Thought everyone knew that Fairies use our teeth to make their furniture  ;D

Oh, I'd have to get a throw to go over that sofa!! Costing me a fortune in teeth at min, falling out all over the place!! Not mine, I hasten to add...... ;D Lottie

whats the going rate for a tooth now from the tooth fairy , my kids to old for teeth to fall out now but having 4 of them used to cost me a bomb  :o :o :o

Very sticky subject Dibs, she's not very consistent!! Some houses £1, my house 50p (have 4 too!), up the road £2 and a magazine  :o :o :o, have known child to get £5!!! Think she must have been on something at that stop...... ;D Lottie

OMG, my little one's not at the losing teeth stage yet. I'll need a mortgage just to keep the tooth fairy thing going  :o

glad my kids teeth dont fall  out any more  ;) ;) ;) but cant wait till mine start falling out will be able to get a morgage then , ;D ;D ;D ;D

Aha! Just you wait til you sell those fashion designs, you'll be able to buy 10 houses and give kids £300 per tooth!!! Lottie ;D

My kids found the drawer where I put the collection of tooth fairy teeth...

I told them that I'd asked the fairy to return them to me!   ;D

LOL! Well, my wonderful Ex told my oldest that I'd been lying to her for years and I was the tooth fairy!! Bless him  ::)! Said " Hands up, was me, but you've had 8/9 years of fun and mystery, money in gilt box you can give to your kids and tiny, weeny fairy messages, you had magic, or nothing, which would you have rather had?" She now helps with younger siblings...... ;D ;) Lottie

The first year the kids were here we had Father Christmas, and they weren't impressed and danced round the house singing 'Dad is Father Christmas'. We had the tooth fairy as well, and they soon decided that was me too. So I gave up.

My eldest was getting a bit doubtful a couple of years ago, didn't want her ruining it for youngers ones. So I got plate of flour, stood in it all over the lounge carpet! When kids got up , were gobsmacked!! I came down and got really cross with Father Christmas, saying he really should wipe his boots first.....! ;) Lottie ;D

Lottie - lovely Father Christmas story!

And beautiful mushroom - did you eat any? Nice?

Mr Aqui and I are going along on an organised mushroom hunt in Epping Forest next month - really looking forward to it. Must remember to take my camera and a clean mirror.