Bird’s Nest

Crucibulum laeve

Crucibulum laeve is easily one of the most iconic and familiar species of Nidulariaceae. The namesake is derived from Latin, in reference to a small bird's nest (Crucibulum laeve translates to 'smooth little cradle'). The fruiting body is a small cup-shaped structure, with several little "eggs" suspended within. Called peridioles, they are filled with spores and held in place in the cup by thin threads known as funiculi. When the cup is splashed by a raindrop or raindrop chain, they bounce outwards at an angle and scatter over the forest floor, in an elegant design for a wet habitat [1][2].

Favoring dead wood, bark mulch, and leaf litter, Crucibulum laeve works to recycle the nutrients back into the soil. As a lignin and cellulose-decomposer, it is one of the many species that aid in the decomposition of natural organic material into the soil itself. A resilient species, it often appears on disturbed, or in the process of breaking down substrates [2][3].

The species is small and easy to miss, but is one of the most innovative and interesting in the area of spore dispersal in the fungi [4]. They are both fascinating as organisms, and visually attractive as a macroscopic specimen, a perfect unity of form and function in fungi [5].

[1] Kuo, Michael.  “Crucibulum laeve.” MushroomExpert.com. https://www.mushroomexpert.com/crucibulum_laeve.html

[2] First Nature.  “Crucibulum laeve (Huds.) Kambly — Common Bird’s-Nest Fungus.” First Nature – Fungi of Northern Europe and North America. https://first-nature.com/fungi/crucibulum-laeve.php

[3] Hassett, Maribeth O., Mark W. F. Fischer, Zachary T. Sugawara, Jessica Stolze-Rybczynski, and Nicholas P. Money.“Splash and Grab: Biomechanics of Peridiole Ejection and Function of the Funicular Cord in Bird’s-Nest Fungi.” Fungal Biology 117, no. 10 (2013): 708–714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2013.07.008

[4] Woodland Trust.  “Common Bird’s Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve).” Woodland Trust Wildlife Library. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/common-birds-nest-fungus/

[5] Han, J. H., and M. E. Palmer.  “Bird’s Nest Fungi: Charismatic Mushrooms in Your Garden.” University of Florida IFAS Extension, EDIS PP361 (2018). https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP361