Pleated Inkcap

The primary subject is a fungus identified as the Pleated Inkcap (*Parasola plicatilis*). This identification is based on the distinctive morphology of the fruiting bodies, which includes small, delicate forms with strongly pleated, parasol-like caps that are brownish in the center and fade to gray at the margins. The fungus is observed growing in a cluster (cespitose) on a substrate of wood mulch in a garden bed, which is a typical habitat for this common saprobic species.