Doug Shepherd's photos with the keyword: Mushroom

Distribution Frequent in Britain and Ireland and throughout Europe and North America, the Common Inkcap usually appears in clusters but occasionally as solitary specimens. From tree stumps or buried wood of deciduous hardwood trees, Coprinopsis atramentaria, the Common Inkcap, arises in small clumps from spring until early winter. Description At first egg-shaped and mostly smooth with just a small central area covered in small flattened scales; without veil fragments, the cap of Coprinus atramentaria later expands to become bell-shaped with a slight umbo before deliquescing from the margin. Grey or grey-brown before turning black, caps attain a diameter of 3 to 7cm. Toxicity The Common Inkcap is poisonous when consumed in conjunction with alcohol, and the effects are sometimes severe. It is therefore unwise and can be dangerous to eat these inkcap mushrooms if alcohol has been consumed during the three days before a meal or is likely to be consumed at any time during the three days afterwards.

The Fly agaric mushroom on the left has already been visited by some unknown creature(s) of the forest floor, it must have tasted good! The one on the right (shown in the background of 1st picture) is still in the process of breaking through the carpet of larch needles, leaves and twigs; and has yet to be ttied. Mythology and symbolism Fly agaric has a long history of use in religious ceremonies, particularly in Asia. For over 4,000 years it was the ingredient in a sacred and hallucinogenic ritual drink called 'soma' in India and Iran; while the Siberian shamans would give it out as a gift in late December. This toadstool has turned up in many fairy tale stories and features in the story of Alice in Wonderland when she is given some fly agaric to eat. Uses of Fly agaric Fly agaric is poisonous and infamous for its psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties; but, reports of human deaths are extremely rare. It was traditionally used as an insecticide. The cap was broken up and sprinkled into saucers of milk. It's known to contain ibotenic acid, which both attracts and kills flies – which gave it its name.

Coprinus comatus, the shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane, is a common edible mushroom often seen growing on lawns, along gravel roads and waste areas. These widespread and common mushrooms have a very short shelf-life, typically only lasting 24 hours from emerging to liquefying. The young fruit bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The caps are white, and covered with scales—this is the origin of the common names of the mushroom. The gills beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black and secrete a black liquid filled with spores (hence the "ink cap" name). This mushroom is unusual because it will turn black and dissolve itself in a matter of hours after being picked or depositing spores.

Symptoms if consumed vary between patients. They range from nausea, twitchiness and drowsiness, to delirium, seizures and coma.

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