Identification
Gray bell-shaped clusters; gills deliquesce to ink; on rich soil.
Edibility — conditional with a hard rule
Edible young — but it contains coprine, which blocks aldehyde dehydrogenase: alcohol within ~3 days of eating causes flushing, vomiting, tachycardia (the Antabuse effect). Documented clinically.
In practice
- Young gray inkcaps + no alcohol for 3 days = the deal.
- With any drinking planned — skip this mushroom entirely.