Nidula candida (Peck) V.S. White
common gel bird's nest
Agaricaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
common gel bird's nest
Agaricaceae
Species account author: Ian Gibson.
Extracted from Matchmaker: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest.
Introduction to the Macrofungi
Species Information
Summary:
{See also Common Bird''s Nests Table.} Features include the flower-pot to mug shape with the mouth turned out; gray or gray brown shaggy exterior; white to yellowish or brown smooth interior; numerous gray to light brown eggs in a gelatinous matrix without a cord; and growth on rotting wood, berry canes, herbaceous debris, or soil. New fruitbodies may grow on top of old ones.
Microscopic:
spores 6-10 x 4-8 microns, elliptic to nearly round, smooth, colorless, (Arora), spores 8-10 x 4-6 microns, elliptic; eggs with a thin tunica (Brodie)
Notes:
Nidula candida is found in WA, is apparently abundant in OR, is seldom as abundant in BC as N. niveotomentosa, and is also found in AK, (Brodie). It also occurs in CA (Arora). There is a collection from ID at Oregon State University.
EDIBILITY
no (Phillips)
Habitat and Range
SIMILAR SPECIES
Nidula niveotomentosa has smaller fruitbody (mostly 0.4-0.6cm high) that is snowy white (may be tinged yellow or brown when older) and less shaggy than N. candida, with smaller eggs 0.05-0.1cm across, (Brodie). N. niveotomentosa is like a slender mug, 0.4-0.6cm high, covered with whitish velvety tomentum, whereas Nidula candida is like a flower pot, 1-1.5cm high, covered by gray or gray-brown shaggy tomentum, (Fay(1)).Habitat
in groups, "on rotting wood, berry canes, and herbaceous debris in gardens, woods, along streams, etc.", in California common in late fall and winter or even spring, but empty nests persisting for months, (Arora), on old berry canes, rotten wood, or rich soil, June to October, (Phillips)
Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Nidularia candida Peck