Ebony cup

Appearance

The fruit bodies typically grow in groups, or sometimes crowded closely together, with small stems or missing them entirely. Initially, the fruit bodies are closed and roughly spherical, but as they develop they expand to become cup-shaped, or almost flat. The inner surface of the cups bear the reproductive spore-bearing layer, or hymenium; it is brownish-black, with an edge that is often wavy and curved slightly inwards, and covered with fine hairs. The cups may reach up to 2 cm in diameter. The hairs are long but usually closely coiled and twisted, which gives to the exterior of the cup a slightly tomentose appearance of nearly uniform thickness throughout their entire length. They are pale brown and 4–6 µm in diameter.


The asci are roughly cylindrical with a long stem-like base; the entire ascus is often as long as 300–325 µm and about 15 µm in diameter at the thickest point. The spores are round, smooth, translucent , and have diameters of about 12–14 µm. They are filled with many small oil droplets. The paraphyses are enlarged at their tips and filled with brown colored matter, about 4 µm thick.

Naming

Christian Hendrik Persoon named the species ''Peziza nigrella'' in his ''Systema Mycologia'' in 1801, and it was sanctioned under this name in Elias Magnus Fries' ''Systema Mycologicum'' in 1821. In 1870, German mycologist Fuckel transferred it to his newly described genus ''Pseudoplectania'', and made it the type species. The species was ulteriorly placed in ''Crouania'' by Friedrich August Hazslinszky von Hazslin, and in ''Plectania'' by Petter Karsten , but neither placement is considered correct.

The fungus is commonly known as the "ebony cup", the "black false plectania", or the "hairy black cup".''Pseudoplectania sphagnophila'' resembles ''P. nigrella'', but has a more deeply and persistently cup-shaped fruit body, a short but distinct stem, and only grows amongst sphagnum moss. ''Plectania melastoma'' has elliptical to spindle-shaped spores measuring 20–28 by 8–12 µm, while ''P. milleri'' has elliptical spores, and the margin of its cups have star-shaped points.

Distribution

This species is saprobic, and is found growing in groups on the ground or on moss-covered decaying wood, especially amongst fallen pine needles. In North America, fruit bodies appear in the spring and summer, and are fairly common; in Britain, the fungus fruits from winter to spring, and is rare. Its small size and dark color makes it easy to overlook.

''Pseudoplectania nigrella'' has a worldwide distribution, and has been found in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, India, Madagascar, New Zealand, Israel, and Japan.

Habitat

This species is saprobic, and is found growing in groups on the ground or on moss-covered decaying wood, especially amongst fallen pine needles. In North America, fruit bodies appear in the spring and summer, and are fairly common; in Britain, the fungus fruits from winter to spring, and is rare. Its small size and dark color makes it easy to overlook.

''Pseudoplectania nigrella'' has a worldwide distribution, and has been found in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, India, Madagascar, New Zealand, Israel, and Japan.