Disturbed ground: roadsides, paths, meadows, parks

Edible when young, before the gills blacken

• ▸ Tall cylindrical white cap covered in shaggy, upturned scales
• ▸ White, free gills that turn black and liquefy from the margin once mature
• ▸ Hollow white stem with a loose, movable ring
• ▸ Cap dissolves into black, spore-laden 'ink' shortly after sporulation

One of the most distinctive mushrooms of late summer; the blackening process (deliquescence) happens within hours, so pick young specimens while the cap is still firm and white.