Specimen #1: Shaggy Mane Mushroom

Coprinus comatus (Shaggy Mane Mushroom)

Figure 1. Gills of Coprinus comatus


Figure 2. Coprinus comatus with inky cap


Figure 3. Coprinus comatus spore prints

Figure 4. black spores of Coprinus comatus


Figure 5. This image borrowed from dreamstime.com at http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-shaggy-mane-mushroom-image20297266 depicts Coprinus comatus before deliquescence. Note the scales that give the shaggy mane mushroom its name.

Phylum: Basidiomycota
Family: Agaricaceae
Species: Coprinus comatus 
Common name: Shaggy Mane Mushroom
Collection date: 10/8/2015
Collector: Caroline Kaylor Georskey
Habitat: a disturbed grassy area along a road
location: Disturbed area along Hinsdale St. on Hiram College campus
Description: When first collected this specimen was 22 cm tall just over half of which was composed of the cap. The stalk, gills, and cap were white with the exception of light brown scales scattered across the cap. A large annuls was also visible. However, over the next 2 days the cap became black and began to curl upon itself (fig. 2) and oozed a black liquid, which are the spores (fig. 3) .
Key used: Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms demystified: A comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Basidiomycotina p. 57
1. Basidia and spores borne externally (on the exposed surface of gills, tubes, spines, branches,
lobes, ect.); spores forcibly discharged at maturity , i.e. a spore print often (but not always) obtainable; fruiting ody with a cap and stalk, or clublike, or branched, or branchetlike, or crustlike (without a stalk or sometimes without a cap) or lobed or bloblike, ect...
2. Not as above (fruiting body is not at first egglike with a gelatinous interior)...

Hymenomycetes p. 57
1. Not as above; pores and tubes absent...
3. underside of cap with radiating blades (gills)...

Agaricales p. 58
1. Not as above; spores forcibly discharged, hence a spore print obtainable if spores are being produced; gills exposed at maturity; common and widespread...
2.Spores some other color (pinkish, salmon, yellow-brown, brown, rusty-orange, rusty-brown, chocolate-brown, purplish, greenish, black, ect.)...
10. spore print some shade of orange, brown, green, purple, gray, or black...
16. Not as above (spore print greenish to grayish-olive)...
19. Spore print purple-brown to purple-gray, purple-black, smoky-gray, black, chocolate-brown, or deep brown...
20. Not as above; gills free to adnexed, adnate, or occasionally decurrent...
20. Gills and/or cap auto-digesting (i.e. turning into an inky black mass) at maturity; spore print black

Coprinacaea p. 341
1. Mature gills (and often the cap) digesting themselves, i.e. either turning into an inky black fluid or withering away)...

Coprinus p. 342
1. Growing on dung, manure, straw, or compost...
2. partial veil typically forming a distinct annulus (ring) on stalk...
3. Not as above; fruiting body larger...
4. Cap 2 cm high when unexpanded; at first entirely white or white with brown scales...

Coprinus camatus p. 345

For more information on Coprinus camatus please review the following links:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/coprinus_comatus.html
http://americanmushrooms.com/edibles5.htm
http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/coprinus-comatus.html#sthash.JPNdm1A8.dpbs