BASIDIOMYCETES: Nidulariales, Nidulariaceae

Bird’s Nest Fungus, Cyathus striatus

Basidiomycetes, order: Nidulariales, family: Nidulariaceae

Height to ¾"

Forms tiny cups to ½" wide, like little nests in the shape of an inverted cone, wide on top and narrow at the base. Inner surface is shiny, reddish-brown, with broad grooves. Outer surface is dark brown and covered with shaggy hairs. Inside the cup reside several whitish “eggs” or spore-containing sacs that are ejected by the force of raindrops entering the cup. In early stages a whitish membrane covers the cup. Bird’s Nest Fungus often forms dense groups in open woodlands, rotting wood, and sawdust piles throughout North America during the late summer and fall. Not substantial enough to be edible.