Bird's Nest Fungus

Description:

lots of little tubes growing out of the ground with striated cups on the top and little "eggs" in some of the nests. They are smaller than a dime and usually found in a large group.The nest is completely enclosed at first and the spores develop inside the eggs. At maturity the top of the nest is ruptured and the eggs are exposed. Raindrops splash the "eggs" out of the "nest". If you look closely you can see the eggs in the open nests in the first photo.

Habitat:

Westcoast temperate rainforest

Notes:

Miller's Mushrooms of North America says that the "eggs" are attached to the nest by a cord and when the raindrops splash them out, the cord wraps around nearby twigs or stems, holding the eggs in place until the wall of the egg disintegrates and the spores are released. COOL!