Coprinus plicatilis - Pleated Inkcap

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Commonly referred to as the Pleated Inkcap, and sometimes as the Little Japanese Umbrella, Parasola (formerly Coprinus) plicatilis is a very delicate member of the inkcap group of fungi. It occurs in short grass.

This is one of the many short-lived grassland fungi that appear overnight following rain; the fruitbodies develop, expand, shed their spores and decay within 24 hours and by the next morning there is usually little or no evidence of them ever having existed.

Identification guide

	Cap The cap of Parasola plicatilis has a diameter of 1 to 2cm, is heavily ribbed, and initially egg-shaped, then convex and finally flat. A distinctive tawny central 'eye' contrasts with the rest of the pale grey cap.
	Gills The white gills turn grey and then black; they radiate from a collar around the top of the stem. and are thin and quite well spaced. Unlike most ink caps, this delicate little fungus has a cap that flattens and then shrivels rather than its gills deliquescing (turning to a black inky liquid).
Stem	Up to 6cm long, but only 4 or 5mm diameter and very fragile; faintly fibrilose; white or dingy cream becoming slightly brownish at the base.
Spore print	Black.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	In short grass on lawns and sometimes in parks and meadows, usually in small groups.
Season	May to November.
Occurrence	Frequent.
Similar species	Parasola auricoma is somewhat larger and darker in cap0 colour; it has minute hairs on its cap centre, and it grown is woodland habitats and on woodchip mulch. Coprinus kuehnerii is more orange-brown but otherwise very similar in macroscopic appearance; it is found mainly on the edge of woodland.