EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus), Family Coprinaceae
Cascade Mountains, southern Washington state, USA

Explanation:  No, "shaggy mane" isn't the pelt of an old English sheepdog.  This is a common fungus of the Inky Cap family (Coprinaceae), so common, in fact, that it has grown literally in my back yard -- although I took this photo in an old-growth forest of Douglas-fir and true fir in the Cascade Mountains of southern Washington state.  

Despite their delicate appearance, shaggy manes are well known to be able to push up through asphalt.  They do this essentially with hydrostatic pressure as they absorb water and expand.  

Shaggy manes are edible, and have been suggested as a substitute for asparagus and that they can also be pickled.  However, pick them quickly before the pileus (the cap) releases its spores and liquifies into black ink!  However, we do not advocate picking and eating wild mushrooms ... without experience and technical knowledge of the species!  Many mushrooms are poisonous!

Further information:  Thanks to EPOW reader and biologist Virgil Fritz for suggesting the above warning ... and for mentioning that many species of Coprinaceae carry a chemical that, once consumed, reacts badly with alcohol; and thus, wine (or any alcohol) with mushrooms might not necessarily be a good idea.