MushieShaggy ink cap vs Common ink cap: how to tell them apart
The shaggy ink cap has a tall, shaggy white cap and is edible when young. The common ink cap has a smooth, grey, bell-shaped cap and is poisonous if alcohol is drunk within days. Avoid alcohol around both.
Side-by-side comparison
 Coprinus comatus |  Coprinopsis atramentaria | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety status | Edible with caution | Poisonous |
| Cap | White with shaggy brownish scales, 5–15 cm tall, cylindrical to bell-shaped | Grey to grey-brown, 3–7 cm, smooth, bell-shaped, becoming lined |
| Underside | Crowded white gills that turn pink and then black | Crowded white gills turning black and dissolving |
| Stem | White, hollow, with a thin ring that slides up and down | White, smooth, hollow, with a faint ring zone near the base |
| Smell | Mild | Mild |
| Spore print | Black | Black |
| Habitat | Grass, roadsides, lawns and disturbed ground | Tufts on or near buried wood, lawns and disturbed ground |
| Season | Aug – Nov | Apr – Nov |
Photos: Bigredwine1, CC BY-SA 4.0 · James Lindsey, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests that separate them
- Cap: shaggy white scales (shaggy) vs smooth grey (common).
- Growth: scattered on grass (shaggy) vs tufts on buried wood (common).
- Both dissolve into black ink, so only eat very fresh white specimens of the shaggy ink cap.
Key clues for each
Shaggy ink cap: Tall shaggy white cap, gills that darken from the bottom up and dissolve into black liquid. Do not eat any that have started to blacken.
Common ink cap: Smooth grey, bell-shaped cap in dense tufts, with gills that turn to ink as it ages.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell shaggy ink cap from common ink cap?
The shaggy ink cap has a tall, shaggy white cap and is edible when young. The common ink cap has a smooth, grey, bell-shaped cap and is poisonous if alcohol is drunk within days. Avoid alcohol around both.
Which is more dangerous, shaggy ink cap or common ink cap?
Common ink cap (Coprinopsis atramentaria) is the dangerous one. Contains coprine, which causes a severe reaction (flushing, palpitations, vomiting) when alcohol is drunk, even up to a few days after eating it.
Is it safe to identify mushrooms from photos or a website?
Never eat a wild mushroom based on an app or a website. Confirm identification and edibility in person with a qualified local expert.
Compare in the field
Photograph your find with Mushie to see possible matches and the look-alikes to rule out. Results are suggestions, never a safe-to-eat verdict.