What is the scientific name of the edible mushroom known as shaggy mane?

The scientific name of the edible mushroom known as shaggy mane is Coprinus comatus. It is also called shaggy ink cap or lawyer's wig, names inspired by its tall white cap covered in loose scales.

Young specimens begin as white, cylindrical fruiting bodies. As they mature, their gills turn pink and then black before the mushroom dissolves itself into an inky liquid containing spores. This self-digestion, called deliquescence, can happen within hours and explains the ink-cap nickname.

The species was first described as Agaricus comatus by Otto Friedrich Müller in 1780. Christiaan Hendrik Persoon transferred it to Coprinus in 1797. The name comatus comes from a Latin word meaning hairy or shaggy. DNA studies later split many former Coprinus species into other genera, but Coprinus comatus remains the best-known true Coprinus.

It is edible only while young and white. It can be confused with poisonous mushrooms, including Chlorophyllum molybdites, while the similar common ink cap can cause an unpleasant reaction when eaten with alcohol.