Fluted Bird's Nest - Cyathus striatus
Stunningly fascinating fruiting bodies that look like bird's nests!
The caps hadn't come off these nests yet, so they were topped by white caps. The metallic gray "eggs" inside the nests are called peridioles and contain spores. The shaggy, vase-shaped "nests", called peridia, serve as "splash cups" and help with spore dispersal by using the kinetic energy of rain. When raindrops strike the nest, the peridioles are projected into the air where they can then latch onto branches, leaves, etc. The nests were approximately 1cm tall.
"Cyathus striatus" is a common saprobic bird's nest fungus with a widespread distribution throughout temperate regions of the world. This fungus resembles a miniature bird's nest with numerous tiny "eggs"; the eggs, or "peridioles", are actually lens-shaped bodies that contain spores.
