Cup fungus

Pezizaceae vesiculosa

Cup fungus is a common decomposer fungus that is not often confused with others due to its attractive, cup-shaped apothecia. The small to large fruiting bodies are light to tan in color and grow in clusters. They can be found in lawns, on rich soil, compost piles, and burned ground. Their smooth, convex shape and the fact that they often fruit suddenly after rain makes this a fairly easy fungus to spot [1][2].

Peziza vesiculosa is an early successional species. It can be found where organic debris accumulates but where other organisms have not yet returned, such as burned or freshly disturbed ground. It is a pioneer species that speeds nutrient cycling and soil structure reformation, helping make the area ready for colonization by plants and other organisms [3][4].

This species has no known relationship to humans. It plays a critical ecological role as an early successional species, cleaning up areas that have recently been disturbed. It fruits quickly and turns dead organic matter into nutrients and new soil, being one of the first organisms to show up after an area is disturbed [4][5].

[1] MykoWeb. “California Fungi: Peziza vesiculosa.” https://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/species/Peziza_vesiculosa.html

[2] BiologyLearner. “Peziza: Occurrence, Structure, Reproduction.” July 14, 2023. https://biologylearner.com/peziza-occurrence-structure-reproduction/

[3] Hansen, Karen, Thomas Læssøe, and Donald H. Pfister. “Phylogenetic Diversity in the Core Group of Peziza Inferred from ITS Sequences and Morphology.” Mycological Research 106, no. 8 (2002): 879–902. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0953756208601331

[4] Plantiary. “Blistered Cup Fungus (Peziza vesiculosa) – Mushroom ID & Habitat.” https://plantiary.com/mushroom/peziza-vesiculosa_339.html

[5] Kubicek, Christian P., and Irina S. Druzhinina, eds. “Nutrient Cycling by Saprotrophic Fungi in Terrestrial Habitats.” In Environmental and Microbial Relationships, The Mycota IV, 319–337. Springer, 2007. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-540-71840-6_16