Common Bird's Nest

Description:

The cord, which is called a "funiculus" in Mycologese, is the egg's mechanism for attaching itself to sticks, leaves, and other plant debris. When a raindrop falls into the nest, the eggs are projected out of the cup. As this happens, the cord is stretched to its limit--then breaks away from the nest, remaining attached to the egg. Where the cord was attached to the nest, it becomes frayed, since it was torn away. The little frayed ends are adhesive, and when they come into contact with, for example, a leaf, they attach themselves. This stops the flight of the egg, which then swings back and attaches itself to the leaf as well . . . rather like what would happen to a kite if you were to let it sail away after coating your end of the string with glue ( http://www.mushroomexpert.com/crucibulum... ). ---- good to see at picture #3

Habitat:

location: North America, Europe edibility: Inedible fungus colour: Red or redish or pink, Brown normal size: Less than 5cm cap type: Funnel shaped stem type: Lateral, rudimentary or absent spore colour: White, cream or yellowish habitat: Grows on wood Crucibulum laeve (Huds.) Kamb. Tiegel-Teuerling Common Bird's Nest. Fruit body a small cup or goblet containing a number of small flattened "eggs." Cup 0.5-lcm high, 1cm across, tapered downward; yellow-ochre to tawny brown; outer surface velvety, inner surface pallid, smooth, and shiny; mouth at first covered with a densely hairy lid. Eggs 1.5mm across; white; attached to cup by long thin cord. Spores ellipsoid, smooth, 4-10 x 4-6µ. Habitat on decaying logs and twigs. Common. Found throughout most of North America. Season July-October. Not edible ( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/D... )

Notes:

Scientific name: Crucibulum laeve (Huds.) Kambly Derivation of name: Laev- means "smooth" referring to the inner nest wall. Synonyms: Crucibulum vulgare Tul. & C. Tul. Common name(s): White-egg bird's nest; Common bird's nest. Phylum: Basidiomycota Order: Agaricales Family: Nidulariaceae Occurrence on wood substrate: Saprobic; typically clustered on wood chips, bark, fallen branches; summer through fall. Dimensions: Nests are 0.5 to 1 cm tall and wide. Sterile nest surfaces: The tawny-yellow, velvety lid is conspicuous when the nests are young. The inside of the cup-like nest is white, smooth and shiny. There are no tooth-like projections on the rim of the nest. Fertile tissue: The eggs (peridioles) are about 1.5-2 mm wide, white, and attached to the cup by a long thin cord. Edibility: One simply does not eat things such as this. Comments: This is the only bird's nest fungus with white peridioles in our range ( http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wo... ), ( http://www.soortenbank.nl/soorten.php?so... ), ( http://www.mycobank.org/MycoTaxo.aspx?Li... ), ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucibulum#... )