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Species Information
Summary: {See also Common Bird''s Nests Table.} Features include 1) an inverted cone-shaped, shaggy brown cup with setae on the edge, 2) strongly radially striate, brownish gray interior covered at first by a whitish membrane, and 3) slightly triangular dark eggs attached by a cord. The sides of the cup are angled so that raindrops falling into the mushrooms dislodge the spore sacs (eggs), (Lincoff(2)). In the air the cord attached to the egg acts like a whip, enabling the egg to become attached to blades of grass, (Lincoff(1)).
Cyathus striatus is found in WA, AL, CO, CT, GA, IA, IN, MT, NY, OH, PA, WI, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, (White). It is very widespread in the temperate world, Canada including BC and AB, United States, Mexico, India, China, Japan, (Brodie(1)). It also occurs in Europe (Courtecuisse). The University of British Columbia has collections from BC and Thailand, the University of Washington has collections from WA, IA, and VA, and Oregon State University has collections from OR, OH, and PA.
Nest: commonly 0.7-1cm high, and 0.6-0.8cm wide at top but variable, commonly narrowly obconic, but varying to widely obconic, slender in lower part but flaring outwards in upper third; some shade of brown but varying from gray buff to deep chocolate, brown or deep buff; emplacement distinct; epiphragm [covering membrane] distinct, persistent, usually white, mouth when young with short but distinct setae [bristles], (Brodie(1)), 0.8-1cm across, 1-1.5cm high, shaped like a truncated cone or bell; dark reddish brown, grooved lengthwise, interior initially with whitish membrane, (Lincoff(1)), 0.5-1.5cm wide and high, typically with slender base and upper one third flaring outward, but variable; brownish to gray-buff to deep chocolate-brown, (Lincoff(2)), without a stem or with a very short stem, sometimes seated on a brown tufted pad, (McKnight)
Outer Surface: faintly to strongly pleated, irregular shaggy or woolly tomentum, often with some downward pointing hairs, (Brodie(1)), cinnamon-brown to grayish brown or dark brown, (Arora), covered with hairs externally, (Lincoff(1)), brownish orange to dark brown; streaked at least near margin, having coarse shaggy hairs, (McKnight)
Inner Surface: inside markedly pleated and smooth, shiny, (Brodie(1)), radially grooved, brownish gray, (Courtecuisse), lead-colored; shiny, (Lincoff(1), but photo shows brown interior)
Microscopic: spores 18-20 x 8-10 microns, elliptic, slightly narrower at one end, thick-walled, with a notch or apiculus at one end, (Brodie(1)), 18-22 x 8-12 microns, elliptic, white, (Lincoff(1)), spores 15-22 x 8-12 microns, elliptic, notched at one end, smooth, (Phillips)
Habitat / Range
in open woodland on small twigs and woody leaf mould, occasionally in gardens, (Brodie(1)), can grow in manure, but more common on sticks and other vegetable matter, (Arora), scattered or in groups on dead wood or vegetable debris in open woods, July to October, (Phillips), on dead wood, bark, twigs, and wood chips, in open woods, (Lincoff(2)), "on decaying plant materials such as wood chips, small branches, and needles", (Trudell)
Similar Species
Cyathus helenae has tufted tomentum, has faint pleating, lacks setae, and has different habitat, as well as biochemical differences, (Brodie(1)). Spores of C. helenae are similar in size but mostly oval instead of elongate as in C. striatus, (Brodie(2)). Other Cyathus species in the Pacific Northwest are not pleated. See also SIMILAR section of Cyathus olla and Cyathus stercoreus.
