Community find

Pleated Inky Cap

Parasola plicatilis

Group

gilled mushroom

Season

Typically found from spring through autumn, especially after periods of rain.

Habitat

This mushroom is saprobic, growing on well-manicured lawns, grassy areas, wood chips, and highly disturbed ground. It often appears after rain.

Key characteristics

The cap is distinctly pleated, resembling a small, delicate umbrella. It starts conic to ovoid, expanding to campanulate or flat, typically 1-3 cm across, with prominent radial grooves or pleats. The color ranges from pale grayish-brown to beige or tawny, often darker at the center. The gills are adnate to free, becoming crowded, white, then quickly turning gray and eventually black, deliquescing (dissolving) in age. The stem is thin, fragile, hollow, white to translucent, about 3-10 cm long and 1-3 mm thick, lacking a ring. Spore print is black.

Look-alikes

Several other small Coprinoid mushrooms (now often reclassified into genera like Parasola, Coprinellus, and Coprinopsis) can look similar. *Parasola schroeteri* is another common pleated inky cap but typically has brown setae on its cap. Distinguishing features often involve microscopic examination.

Ecological role

It is a saprobic fungus, meaning it obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter, particularly grass, wood chips, and other plant debris in soil. It plays an important role in nutrient cycling in its ecosystem.