Woolly Bird's Nest Fungus

Appearance

Fruiting body 4-6 mm tall, 4-5 mm broad, cylindrical, if flaring, abruptly at the apex; outer surface, white, pubescent when young, becoming buff to pale-grey, matted when senescent; mouth fringed, the opening covered by a thin, white, evanescent, cottony membrane (epiphragm), when lost, revealing a glabrous, tan interior and small, brown, peridioles (eggs), 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter, embedded in a mucilaginous gel.

Habitat

Scattered to clustered on sticks, wood chips, and other woody debris, both coastal and montane; fruiting from mid to late winter, old fruiting bodies persisting for months; common.