thebashfulbotanist:Bird’s nest fungus, probably the common…
Bird’s nest fungus, probably the common bird’s nest Crucibulum laeve. The “eggs” in the nests are peridioles, little packets of spores attached to the “nest” by a tiny funicular cord. When rain falls in the cup, it splashes the peridioles out, breaking the cords. You can see some peridioles here that have already been splashed out onto the moss and leaves! The spores can survive being eaten by a herbivore, which helps in their dispersal. This fungus isn’t edible, not that you’d want to eat it – it’s woody and tough. Cute, though!
Reposted from https://lies.tumblr.com/post/613138529714896896.
