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Project Noah Nature School
Cyathus striatus
Some little nest fungi
Mixed woods
Spotted on Jan 2, 2013
Submitted on Jan 3, 2013
2 Comments
Those are the reproductive structure of the fungus, inside those "eggs" are the spores. The cups are designed so that when rain hits them, the "eggs" are dispersed a suitable distance from the parent. Some of these have a thin filament that attaches to them, so that when they encounter a stick in their path the thread wraps around, helping to ensure the they find suitable substrate.
THose are really nifty!
What makes the little "eggs" inside some of the nests?