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White-egg Bird's nest fungus ( Crucibulum laeve) These are the smallest of the bird&#039;s nest fungi I&#039;ve seen - about 5 mm across. They had smooth inner walls and a rough furry exterior. Most of the &quot;crucibles&quot; had lost their peridioles but a few like in this photo had very white lentil shaped peridioles containing spores.<br /> Australia,Crucibulum laeve,Geotagged,Winter Click/tap to enlarge

White-egg Bird's nest fungus ( Crucibulum laeve)

These are the smallest of the bird's nest fungi I've seen - about 5 mm across. They had smooth inner walls and a rough furry exterior. Most of the "crucibles" had lost their peridioles but a few like in this photo had very white lentil shaped peridioles containing spores.

    comments (2)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
    Lion
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    Such incredible fungi, still hoping one day I get to see one. Was this taken in Australia? Posted 9 years ago
  2. View Leuba Ridgway's profile
    Leuba Ridgway
    Lion
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    Yes Ferdy, spotted it amongst leaf litter here in Victoria. They are one of my favourite fungi. Aren't they amazing.?!
    When I first saw photos of this family of fungi I assumed that they were quite big and easily visible. It was Martin Lagerwey that gave us the exact location to spot some of bird's nest fungi. I was surprised how small they were.
    I am sure if you looked hard in damp decaying wood mulch you'd see little cups . They are always a surprise.     Posted 9 years ago

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The Common Bird's Nest Fungus

Crucibulum laeve is probably the most common and frequently encountered bird's nest fungus in temperate North America. Three features serve to identify it successfully: its yellowish colors; the "lid" over the nest (in young specimens), covering the eggs; and the tiny cords that attach the eggs to the nest.

Info 26 0
Similar species: Agaricales
Species identified by Leuba Ridgway
View Leuba Ridgway's profile

By Leuba Ridgway

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Uploaded Aug 15, 2016. Captured Aug 14, 2016 17:11 in 32 St Elmo Ave, Ferntree Gully VIC 3156, Australia.
country flag of Australia Explore Australia 13,072 4,173 3
  • SZ-10
  • f/9.3
  • 10/300s
  • ISO100
  • 5mm
Captured in the winter. More winter photos.