TRY FUNGI: Call this a starter mushroom.

While we don’t hesitate to put leeks and even fiddlehead ferns
in our mouth, we remain a little leery of any mushroom that doesn’t
come from the supermarket. But after reading today’s information on
a “beginner” mushroom — the shaggy mane mushroom — we might have to
give the local fungi a try.

Rather than a tree of the month, as normal, Elk State Forest
passes along information on this mushroom of the month of January
whose Latin name is Coprinus comatus.

The shaggy mane mushroom has a white, cylindrical cap 1 1/4 to 2
inches wide and 1 5/8 to 6 inches high, covered with flat, white
scales that make it look shaggy.

It is a common mushroom found throughout Pennsylvania and can be
found worldwide. They are frequently found in disturbed ground and
along the edges of dirt roads in early fall where they can be found
in great numbers. Despite how fragile this mushroom appears to be,
emerging shaggy mane caps can lift asphalt pavement off of the
ground, fragmenting it in the process.

Members of the genus Coprinus are also known as “inky caps”
because of the unusual character of “autodeliquescence” of their
gills — self-digestion to release their spores. During this process
the mushroom starts to turn black from the outer edge of the cap
towards the center turning into an ink like substance and dripping
from the mushroom.

This ink was actually used as ink in the days of George
Washington and for dye by Native Americans.

Being one of the easiest mushrooms to recognize it’s considered
a safe edible and good for beginners to start out with. They,
however, do not keep well and should be used the same day as they
are harvested.

The Forestry folks pass along this disclaimer: “Before you eat a
wild mushroom, be absolutely sure your identification is correct
and that the mushroom is a safe edible. The first time you eat any
species, take only a small portion and do not drink any liquor. If
you experience no side effects, try a slightly larger portion the
next time. Don’t eat a large quantity, no matter how often you have
eaten a particular mushroom; mushrooms, in general, are
indigestible.”