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The surest way to tell a magpie inkcap from a shaggy inkcap is the skin of the cap: on a shaggy inkcap it's white all over, while on a magpie inkcap dark brown to black, often glossy skin shows between the white patches. The shaggy inkcap is edible while young; the magpie inkcap is not.
The shaggy inkcap (Coprinus comatus), also called lawyer's wig or, in North America, shaggy mane, comes up in troops on lawns, verges and meadows, and it's only worth picking young. The magpie inkcap (Coprinopsis picacea), or magpie fungus, is a woodland species, most often under beech. Once its cap opens you can't miss it: white patches on black, like magpie plumage. The trouble is the young egg stage, when the magpie's cap is still almost entirely wrapped in a white veil.
What's between the scales. A shaggy inkcap's cap is white throughout, with a pale brownish patch only at the very top. On a magpie inkcap the white veil sits in separate patches on dark brown or black skin, and a young one shows dark skin as soon as the veil starts to crack. This is the most reliable sign, but while the veil is still whole you won't see any dark skin at all.
The scales themselves. The shaggy inkcap has big, shaggy scales that curl upwards, white with pale brown tips. The magpie's patches are flat and felty, like torn bits of cotton wool.
How many together. Shaggy inkcaps grow in groups, often in lines or rings. Magpie inkcaps come up singly or a few at a time, well spaced.
Where they grow. Shaggy inkcaps like grass and disturbed ground: lawns, roadside verges, path edges, meadows, woodland glades. Magpie inkcaps grow in leaf litter in broadleaf woods, classically beech on chalk or limestone, less often oak and hornbeam. Treat this as a hint only: shaggy inkcaps turn up in open woodland too, and the magpie occasionally in shady grassland.
Smell. Faint and pleasant in the shaggy inkcap. The magpie sometimes smells unpleasant, of tar, mothballs or carbolic, and sometimes of very little, so no smell proves nothing.
Doesn't work
The ring. The shaggy inkcap's ring is thin and loose, slides down the stem and is often lost altogether. The magpie usually has no ring, but Wild Food UK describes a movable skirt-like remnant low on its stem. So the ring won't settle it either way.
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The gills. Both go white, then pink, then black.
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"It turns to ink, so it's a shaggy." Both dissolve into black ink as they mature.
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The spot on its own. Woodland edges and glades suit both.
Look between the scales. Dark skin anywhere on the cap means it isn't a shaggy inkcap. But no dark skin proves nothing while the veil is still whole.
Look at the scales: shaggy and upturned, or flat like scraps of cotton wool.
Look around. A troop in grass fits the shaggy inkcap; one or two in beech litter is a reason to be wary.
Smell it. A tarry or mothball smell may point to the magpie, but the smell is often faint, so it's only a hint.
Only pick shaggy inkcaps when all three signs agree: shaggy, upturned scales, growing in grass, and a group of them together. A smooth, felty white egg growing alone in woodland litter proves nothing, so leave it. Avoid busy roadsides and contaminated ground too, as shaggy inkcaps take up heavy metals. Cook them within a few hours of picking and throw out any whose gills have started to blacken.
If a magpie inkcap ended up in a meal, avoid alcohol for several days, up to five. With the common inkcap, this reaction starts within minutes of a drink: a flushed face, a racing heart, nausea, sometimes vomiting.
If anyone feels unwell, call emergency services on 112 (999 in the UK) or your local poison centre. Keep any leftovers, or at least a photo. Don't try to make yourself sick. Activated charcoal only if a doctor or the emergency operator advises it. Say which mushrooms were eaten, when, and whether anyone drank alcohol afterwards.
Yes, and the magpie inkcap is the one to know. The common inkcap is another lookalike, but it's grey, smooth apart from a few scales at the top, grows in clusters by stumps, and it's the alcohol reaction that makes it a problem rather than the mushroom itself; see shaggy ink cap vs common ink cap. Only the young magpie inkcap really looks like a young shaggy inkcap: a tall white egg on a white stem.
Most guides call the magpie inkcap poisonous, and some mention stomach upset. The German Mycological Society lists it among the inkcaps that can cause a reaction with alcohol, like the common inkcap. But no one has yet identified the toxin, and we couldn't find a published case of poisoning. That doesn't make it safe: it's uncommon and can smell unpleasant, so few people ever eat it.
Autumn is when they overlap: September to November, with the magpie inkcap peaking in October. The shaggy inkcap has a longer season, mainly from late summer to autumn in Britain and Ireland, with the odd one as early as April. It's common everywhere, whereas the magpie inkcap is uncommon: nearly all British records are from England, and there are only a handful from Ireland. The risky spots are glades and woodland rides in beech and oak woods, where grass meets leaf litter.
| Characteristic | Shaggy ink cap | Magpie inkcap |
|---|---|---|
| Edibility class | Shaggy ink cap: Edible | Magpie inkcap: Poisonous |
| Season | Shaggy ink cap: Spring, Summer, Autumn | Magpie inkcap: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter |
| Use | Shaggy ink cap: Cook fresh | Magpie inkcap: Not eaten |
| Cap colour | Shaggy ink cap: White, Cream | Magpie inkcap: Black, Dark brown, Mottled, White |
| Cap shape | Shaggy ink cap: Cylindrical | Magpie inkcap: Cylindrical, Conical |
| Taste | Shaggy ink cap: Mild | Magpie inkcap: Unknown |
| Smell | Shaggy ink cap: Pleasant | Magpie inkcap: Unpleasant, Odourless |
| Stem | Shaggy ink cap: Central | Magpie inkcap: Central, Hollow, Bulbous |
| Ring (veil) | Shaggy ink cap: Ring present | Magpie inkcap: No ring |
| Substrate | Shaggy ink cap: Soil | Magpie inkcap: Soil, Leaf litter |
| Partner trees | Shaggy ink cap: — | Magpie inkcap: Beech, Oak, Hornbeam |
| Growth habit | Shaggy ink cap: In groups, In clusters from one base | Magpie inkcap: Solitary, In groups |
Same in both: size, cap surface, flesh colour change, hymenophore, nutrition type.