Spring orange peel fungus

Appearance

The fruiting body of ''C. fulgens'' is roughly cup-shaped, although the cup may be somewhat flattened, lopsided or split; the size is up to 4 centimetres in diameter. The inner surface of the cup is orange-yellow, while the external surface is pale yellow. Either the margin around the rim or the entire outer surface may be stained olive-green. The green or bluish staining that occurs upon injury or with age is unique within the Pezizales order. The stem, if present, is rather short. The spore deposit is white.

A single specimen of an albino form, 2 centimetres in diameter, was discovered in Northern Idaho; it was found to be lacking the pigment responsible for staining the outer surface olive-green.

The spores are translucent , roughly spherical, thin-walled and smooth, with dimensions of 6–8 µm in diameter. The asci, the spore-bearing cells, are cylindrical and 80–100 by 7–8 µm; the paraphyses are thin and filamentous and contain orange granules. Edibility has not been recorded for this fungus.

Naming

''Caloscypha fulgens'' bears some resemblance to the orange-peel fungus ; however, ''A. aurantia'' does not have the characteristic bluing reaction upon bruising or with age, and it fruits later in the season .

Distribution

This species is usually found in the spring, often on duff under conifers shortly after the snow melts. In North America, where it has been noted to occur only between March and July, it is widespread in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. ''C. fulgens'' has been collected in Britain, and possibly arrived there from imported infected seeds. It has also been collected from Japan, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Turkey. It is listed on the Red List of protected species in Slovakia.

Habitat

This species is usually found in the spring, often on duff under conifers shortly after the snow melts. In North America, where it has been noted to occur only between March and July, it is widespread in the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. ''C. fulgens'' has been collected in Britain, and possibly arrived there from imported infected seeds. It has also been collected from Japan, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Turkey. It is listed on the Red List of protected species in Slovakia.