scarlet elf cup ?

[Rambling Rob]

Hello,

The closest I can find to this fungus is the scarlet elf cup Sarcoscypha coccinea - does anyone agree?



On decaying wood in (a very wet) Firestone Copse, IoW this afternoon.

Thanks for looking,
Rob

[Jason Green]

Evening Rob,

It certainly looks like one to me!

Take care,

Jason

[Chris Yeates]

hi

see other posts re Sarcoscypha on the Fungus Forum to point out that there are more than one (chiefly two) species which look like this and that in the UK it would seem that Sarcoscypha austriaca is actually the commoner (differentiation unfortunately necessitates microscopy) - this is an excellent (if initially daunting) web-source: The European and N-American species of Sarcoscypha

cheers

Chris

[SheffieldLass]

I found Sarcoscypha austriaca today on what was probably coniferous wood in a predominantly coniferous brash pile. I left some insitu and will take a photo tomorrow (hadn't got my camera with me), so will look more closely at the wood it is on. It was covered with coniferous litter. Spores were of the flattened/dimpled end type, oil guttules small and many. Spores were actually a bit on the large side, (31.2) 36-47.2 (53.2) x (12.9) 13.1-16.7 (18.8), Qav=2.8.

Otherwise not much fungi around at the moment, except Tubaria furfuracea.

Melanie

[Andy Overall]

Originally Posted by Rambling Rob

Hello,

The closest I can find to this fungus is the scarlet elf cup Sarcoscypha coccinea - does anyone agree?



On decaying wood in (a very wet) Firestone Copse, IoW this afternoon.

Thanks for looking,
Rob

If you do have a microscope Rob, as well as the flattened, dimpled ended spores, the hairs (setae) on the outer surface of S. austriaca are curly (sinuous) whereas Sarcoscypha coocinea has straight hairs. Both are good charactersitcs to help tell the difference between the two. Macroscopically they are very diificult to tell apart.

Hope this helps

Andy

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Andy Overall

.....the hairs (setae) on the outer surface of S. austriaca are curly (sinuous) whereas Sarcoscypha coocinea has straight hairs. Both are good charactersitcs to help tell the difference between the two. Macroscopically they are very diificult to tell apart.

Hope this helps

Andy

Mine had the curly hairs. And under the hand lens the outer surface looks a bit felted, a bit matted, which I guess is from those hairs ... it looks a bit tousled. I wonder if S coccinea by comparison looks as if it has brushed its hair as it has straight hairs ...

Melanie

P.S. Thanks also for stating in simple English to look at the hairs on the outer surface ... excipular hairs is a bit baffling if ones latin is not very good. Just discoved this very useful link which describes a lot of the useful features and the terms used for Ascomycetes.

http://fungus.org.uk/nwfg/ascmay98.htm

[diggleken]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Mine had the curly hairs. And under the hand lens the outer surface looks a bit felted, a bit matted, which I guess is from those hairs ... it looks a bit tousled. I wonder if S coccinea by comparison looks as if it has brushed its hair as it has straight hairs ...

Melanie

P.S. Thanks also for stating in simple English to look at the hairs on the outer surface ... excipular hairs is a bit baffling if ones latin is not very good. Just discoved this very useful link which describes a lot of the useful features and the terms used for Ascomycetes.

Ascomycetes - love them or hate them

yes, agree, great advice Andy, plus I was trying to think of a mnemonic or something to remember this in the field, but Melanie's austriaca tousled and coccinea with brushed hair is an image I will remember, thanks!
excellent link too , to that NWFG page, ta.
Cheers
Ken

[Rambling Rob]

Thanks all for the informative replies, and the interesting links - I feel I have learned something about the ascomycetes.

While appreciating that it is impossible to know the identity without closer examination, the link to European and N. American species makes me think I probably have the more common species S. austriaca, as coccinea would seem to have a 'crenellate' edge to the apothecium. Also, although it was growing on un-identified rotting wood on the ground, the surrounding trees at this flooded end of the copse were mostly willow and alder which are species favoured by austriaca.

Thanks again,
Rob

[Fungalpunk]

I have been niggled by the Sarcoscypha problem so have done this piece on evidence and advice collated - hope it helps - Fungal Friends News

Fungalpunk Dave