Community find

Pleated Inkcap

Parasola plicatilis

Group

gilled mushroom

Spore print

Black

Size

Cap diameter 1-3 cm; Stipe 3-8 cm long and 1-2 mm thick.

Season

Spring, Summer, and Fall; typically appears overnight after rain and collapses by midday.

Habitat

Grows in grassy areas such as lawns, parks, and roadsides. Often found in soil enriched with organic matter or leaf litter.

Distribution

Widespread and common throughout Europe and North America.

Key characteristics

Very thin and fragile; pleated or umbrella-like cap with a distinct darker brownish-tan center (disk). The cap lacks universal veil remnants and does not turn into black ink as dramatically as other Coprinoids.

Fruiting body

Cap initially cylindrical, becoming convex then flattened with an umbrella-like appearance; deeply grooved or pleated from the margin to the center disk. Hymenophore consists of free, thin, greyish gills that eventually turn black but do not deliquesce. Stipe is long, very thin, white, and hollow.

How to recognise it

Look for the distinct 'pleated' cap that resembles a tiny cocktail umbrella and the lack of any hairs or scales on the cap surface. It usually disappears almost completely under direct sunlight.

Look-alikes

Parasola leiocephala (nearly identical macroscopically), Coprinellus disseminatus (grows in large clusters), and Parasola auricoma (possesses microscopic long hairs).

Ecological role

Saprophytic (decomposes organic matter in the soil and grass).

Notes

This species was formerly classified in the genus Coprinus. It is known as ephemeral because its entire lifecycle—from fruiting to collapsing—can occur within just a few hours, usually starting before dawn and ending by noon.