Autumn fungi flush – pleated inkcaps

Autumn fungi flush - pleated inkcaps

Yet another inkcap species: pleated inkcaps. Delicate-looking and tiny, they can be quite hard to spot in short grass, and they don’t form the tight clusters of some inkcap species.

Until recently they were called little Japanese umbrellas in field guides. I’m all in favour of changing ordinary names of species when these names are racist or sexist. But I struggle to see what derogatory meaning was hidden in the old name. Nor am I  much taken with its replacement. Many inkcap species have caps which appear pleated.