Fungus · GBIF taxon 2534522
Pleated Inkcap
Parasola plicatilisAlso known as Little Japanese Parasol
Pleated inkcaps sprout rapidly in damp lawns and grassy clearings following overnight rains, often appearing as delicate, paper-thin umbrellas before dawn. Their greyish caps feature distinct radial grooves that resemble folded paper, opening flat as they mature before withering and shrivelling within a day rather than dissolving into ink. These widespread decomposers play an important ecological role by recycling organic material back into soil ecosystems.
FungusEphemeralSaprotrophic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying grass roots
- Soil organic matter
- Plant detritus
Predators
- Slugs
- Fungus gnats
- Snails
ThreatsLawn compaction and synthetic chemical treatments
HabitatsLawns, pastures, parks, and roadside grass
Life spanFruiting bodies last only 3–12 hours
Classification
- OrderAgaricales
- FamilyPsathyrellaceae
- GenusParasola
- SpeciesParasola plicatilis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Morning Search: Look for fresh fruiting bodies early in the morning, as sunlight and warm dry air cause them to wither rapidly.
- Gentle Observation: Avoid touching the fragile cap, which collapses under minimal pressure.
- Focus on Gills: Examine the free gills beneath the cap to distinguish this species from similar delicate lawn fungi.
Habitat Neighbor (c) Davide Puddu, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Davide Puddu · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Dwergenpaartje, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Taxonomic Relative (c) Tom Norton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Norton · cc-by
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