A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Cyathus novaezelandiae
The leathery fruiting body looks like a birds nest containing several steely silver eggs (peridioles). They occur in a large cluster of about 100 cups, each about 10 mm. Young cups are covered in a white veil (pic 3)
In a parkland garden bed with introduced wood chips.
The peridioles are dispersed by raindrops hitting the cup. The peridioles are sticky in most species but in this species contain a long sticky tail (funicular cord).
Spotted on May 23, 2012
Submitted on May 23, 2012
3 Comments
Thanks for your comments. I was quite excited to spot these. (You have the google map position now.) The clump was large, with hundreds of fruiting bodies and strongly attached roots/mycelium below. The very next garden bed had the earth stars that break completely free from their root system. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/107...
Super find martin. I will keep my eyes open for these.
great photos Martin - I so badly want to see one these. I like the photos of the covered cups. What an exciting find !