Definition

1. Noun:
   • A common edible mushroom species: Coprinus comatus is the scientific name for a specific type of mushroom, commonly known as the shaggy mane, lawyer's wig, or shaggy ink cap. It is characterized by its distinctive elongated, shaggy, white cap that eventually deliquesces (liquefies) into a black, inky fluid containing its spores.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We found a large patch of Coprinus comatus growing by the roadside.
  • Foragers prize Coprinus comatus for its edible quality when young and before the gills turn black.
  • The rapid autodigestion of Coprinus comatus makes it a fascinating subject for mycologists.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific/biological contexts: The name is used in its full binomial (genus and species) form to specify this particular fungus.
  • The specimen was definitively identified as Coprinus comatus.

Variants and Related Words

• Shaggy mane: The most common English name for this mushroom.
• Lawyer's wig: Another common name, referring to its shaggy appearance.
• Shaggy ink cap: A name describing its appearance and its characteristic of deliquescing into ink.
• Coprinoid mushrooms: A term for mushrooms in the genus and related genera that share the inky cap characteristic.

Synonyms

• Shaggy mane
• Lawyer's wig
• Shaggy ink cap

Notes on Meaning

• The term Coprinus comatus is strictly a scientific name. In everyday conversation, its common names (shaggy mane, etc.) are used.
• It refers specifically to one species, not to edible mushrooms in general.

Noun

1. common edible mushroom having an elongated shaggy white cap and black spores