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Species Information
Summary: {See also Common Bird''s Nests Table.} Cyathus olla is characterized by the fine-textured (almost smooth) exterior wall of the cup and by large irregular eggs. Other features include flaring of the top with a wavy margin, a whitish leathery membrane covering interior at first, grayish to ochraceous exterior and interior, smooth interior, attachment of the eggs by a cord, and growth on soil and wood in moist shaded areas. Brodie notes forma anglicus Lloyd from OR and AB, with larger nests and eggs (dry nest up to 1.4cm wide and 1.7cm high, dry eggs plump, 0.38cm long and 0.25cm wide), (Brodie(3)).
This is the most abundant Cyathus species in Europe and one of the commonest in North America. In North American it is found in OR (both forms Brodie(6)), AB (Schalkwijk-Barendsen), AL, CA, CO, CT, IN, KS, ME, NY, PA, TX, and UT, (White). The University of British Columbia has collections from BC, AK, and LA. The University of Washington has collections from WA and AK. Oregon State University has collections from OR and ID and it was photographed in ID by Kit Scates-Barnhart. It is also found in Peru, South Africa, Iran, and Australia, (Brodie(1)).
Nest: usually 0.8-1cm across, and 1-1.5cm high, with a tendency to be markedly expanded or flared out near mouth, mostly thick-walled, varying considerably in size and shape, outline of mouth commonly wavy and seldom perfectly circular; gray or gray-fawn; set on an emplacement into which a considerable amount of soil is usually incorporated, (Brodie(1)), 0.8-1.2cm across, 0.8-1.5cm high, trumpet-shaped, (Phillips), 0.8-1.5cm across, 1-1.5cm high, shaped like a wide bell, margin wavy or turned back; at first interior covered by a whitish leathery membrane, (Lincoff)
Outer Surface: fine-textured: no unevenness or shagginess apparent to the naked eye, (Brodie(1)), yellowish gray; velvety, (Phillips), gray or ochraceous; faintly pubescent then smooth, (Lincoff)
Inner Surface: smooth, but often transversely ridged, (Brodie(1)), silver-gray; smooth, (Phillips), lead-gray or ochreous; smooth, (Lincoff), gray-brown; smooth, shiny, conspicuously longitudinally ridged (Brodie(6) for forma anglicus)
Microscopic: spores mostly 10-14 x 6-8 microns, ovate; cortex one-layered, (Brodie(1)), 11.5-12.5 x 7.5-9 microns for forma anglicus from OR and 10.5-12.5 x 7.5 microns for type of forma anglicus, (Brodie(6)), spores 10-14 x 8-10 microns, broadly elliptic, smooth, white, (Lincoff)
Habitat / Range
especially on black soils and on old wood, including old boards and dead stems of perennial plants, usually in rather shaded and very moist conditions, (Brodie(1)), fruits in fall, although the empty cups are persistent, (Schalkwijk-Barendsen), July to October (Phillips), on thin soil, roots, or rotting sticks, in flower pots, (Lincoff)
Similar Species
Cyathus pygmaeus 1) is smaller, reaching only 0.4-0.45cm high, with much smaller eggs, 2) is less common, and 3) grows in dry areas, (Brodie(1)). Cyathus stercoreus is golden brown to reddish brown or grayish brown, with a shaggy exterior, the rim circular rather than wavy, the eggs smaller and blackish, and the spores larger, (Arora). C. stercoreus also differs in habitat, growing on dung or manured soil, (Brodie). Cyathus striatus is shaggy and pleated, and C. helenae has tufted hairs on the exterior and is (more faintly) pleated.
