Pyronemataceae
25 genera
45 species
45 species
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Index to genera:
Aleuria, Anthracobia, Byssonectria, Cheilymenia, Genabea, Genea, Geopora, Geopyxis, Gilkeya, Humaria, Lamprospora, Melastiza, Neottiella, Octospora, Otidea, Pseudaleuria, Pseudombrophila, Pulvinula, Pyronema, Rhodotarzetta, Scutellinia, Smardaea, Sowerbyella, Tarzetta, TrichophaeaAleuria aurantia – great orange elf-cup, orange fairy-cup, orange peel fungus, orange-peel fungus, orange-peel
Description: Aleuria aurantia does indeed look like orange peels turned inside-out and scattered by a passing hiker or motorist. The inner fertile surface is a brilliant deep orange, the outer surface paler with a somewhat dandruffy texture. The spores are ellipsoid, 13--24 x 7.5--10 µm, and covered by a network of ridges. A. aurantia is very common in the fall, and is especially abundant along gravelly forest roads, in campgrounds, and at trailhead parking areas. It is one of several ascomycetes that will discharge many spores simultaneously when disturbed, producing a visible smoke-like cloud. Sometimes this can be induced by breathing on the cups, at other times it will occur on its own when the fruitbody is removed from its collecting container.
Distribution: A. aurantia is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere.
Habitat: grassy areas on disturbed soil, in gardens, and along roadsides
Substrate: On ground, in groups or clusters.
Spores: Summer and fall
Description: Aleuria aurantia does indeed look like orange peels turned inside-out and scattered by a passing hiker or motorist. The inner fertile surface is a brilliant deep orange, the outer surface paler with a somewhat dandruffy texture. The spores are ellipsoid, 13--24 x 7.5--10 µm, and covered by a network of ridges. A. aurantia is very common in the fall, and is especially abundant along gravelly forest roads, in campgrounds, and at trailhead parking areas. It is one of several ascomycetes that will discharge many spores simultaneously when disturbed, producing a visible smoke-like cloud. Sometimes this can be induced by breathing on the cups, at other times it will occur on its own when the fruitbody is removed from its collecting container.
Distribution: A. aurantia is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere.
Habitat: grassy areas on disturbed soil, in gardens, and along roadsides
Substrate: On ground, in groups or clusters.
Spores: Summer and fall
Anthracobia macrocystis
Description: reddish brown cup with short hairs on the outside; has a single septum with paraphysis that stains green in Melzer\'s reagent.
Description: reddish brown cup with short hairs on the outside; has a single septum with paraphysis that stains green in Melzer\'s reagent.
Anthracobia melaloma – burn site ochre cup
Description: fruitbody cup-shaped to concave to flattened, lacking a stalk; upper surface yellowish orange; underside slightly paler, darkly punctate with tufts of appressed brownish hairs.
Substrate: gregarious to massed on burned ground and burned wood
Spores: Spring through early winter
Description: fruitbody cup-shaped to concave to flattened, lacking a stalk; upper surface yellowish orange; underside slightly paler, darkly punctate with tufts of appressed brownish hairs.
Substrate: gregarious to massed on burned ground and burned wood
Spores: Spring through early winter
Cheilymenia fimicola – eyelash dung cup
Description: The genus Cheilymenia is characterized by small, stipe-less, flattened saucers bearing conspicuous (under a handlens) eyelash hairs and growing on dung, rich soil, plant debris, or other materials. It appears to be closely related to Aleuria. C. fimicola (= C. coprinaria (Cooke) Boudier) is one of the dung-dwellers, occurring on cow-pies as well as the droppings of wild animals. When fresh the fruitbodies are reddish orange, then they lighten to yellowish orange in age; the hairs are brownish, and all are unbranched.
Distribution: Worldwide
Substrate: dung, manure, or compost
Spores: spring, summer, and fall
Description: The genus Cheilymenia is characterized by small, stipe-less, flattened saucers bearing conspicuous (under a handlens) eyelash hairs and growing on dung, rich soil, plant debris, or other materials. It appears to be closely related to Aleuria. C. fimicola (= C. coprinaria (Cooke) Boudier) is one of the dung-dwellers, occurring on cow-pies as well as the droppings of wild animals. When fresh the fruitbodies are reddish orange, then they lighten to yellowish orange in age; the hairs are brownish, and all are unbranched.
Distribution: Worldwide
Substrate: dung, manure, or compost
Spores: spring, summer, and fall
Cheilymenia stercorea
Description: Cheilymenia stercorea occurs on mammal dung, and has branched brownish hairs near the base of the cup.
Description: Cheilymenia stercorea occurs on mammal dung, and has branched brownish hairs near the base of the cup.
Cheilymenia theleboloides
Description: Cheilymania theleboloides occurs on rotting plant remains, or horse manure and straw; its cups have whitish hairs and are more yellow.
Substrate: rotting plant remains, or horse manure and straw
Description: Cheilymania theleboloides occurs on rotting plant remains, or horse manure and straw; its cups have whitish hairs and are more yellow.
Substrate: rotting plant remains, or horse manure and straw
Geopora cooperi – Cooper's truffle, fuzzy false truffle, fuzzy truffle, pine truffle
Distribution: It is ectomycorrhizal with conifers, widely distributed, and occurs almost year-round.
Spores: long cylindrical asci, each with eight smooth, broad elliptical spores that are forcibly ejected at maturity
Distribution: It is ectomycorrhizal with conifers, widely distributed, and occurs almost year-round.
Spores: long cylindrical asci, each with eight smooth, broad elliptical spores that are forcibly ejected at maturity
Geopyxis carbonaria – earth box, dwarf acorn cup, pyxie cup, stalked bonfire cup
Habitat: Occurs after conifer forest fires
Spores: The spores are smooth, ellipsoid, 11--18 x 6--9 µm, and do not contain prominent oil drops.
Habitat: Occurs after conifer forest fires
Spores: The spores are smooth, ellipsoid, 11--18 x 6--9 µm, and do not contain prominent oil drops.
Geopyxis vulcanalis – vulcan pixie cup
Otidea concinna
Spores: The spores are smooth, ellipsoid, 10--12 x 5--6.5 µm, and contain two large oil drops.
Spores: The spores are smooth, ellipsoid, 10--12 x 5--6.5 µm, and contain two large oil drops.
Otidea leporina – yellow ear, rabbit-ears, yellow rabbit-ears
Otidea onotica – donkey-ears, hare's-ear
Pseudaleuria quinaultiana
Distribution: So far, only found in Washington and Oregon
Spores: smooth ellipsoid spores (15.5--21.5 x 7.5--10.5 µm
Distribution: So far, only found in Washington and Oregon
Spores: smooth ellipsoid spores (15.5--21.5 x 7.5--10.5 µm
Scutellinia scutellata – eyelash cup, eyelash pixie cup, common eyelash, eyelash fungus
Tarzetta cupularis – elf cup, grey goblet
