Peziza cerea - Cellar Cup

Peziza cerea - Cellar Cup

I received an email from a friend who notified me that he'd found a fungus growing in his garage.  Off I went later that day to take a look. It's not every day that I go to investigate a fungus growing inside a building.

Cellar Cup is often to be found on rotting sandbags, sacking, damp mortar and soil between damp paving stones.  Fundamentally this fungus likes damp and moist conditions.  I came across Cellar Cup a long time ago - that example was growing on discarded sacking.  The example included in this post was covered in cobwebs but in prime condition.

Characteristics:  Cup 1-5 cm across, cup-shaped, yellowish - buff with a paler inner surface.  The outer surface is similar but can be darker with a scurfy texture that darkens towards the base.
This is an occasional fungus.

Below are some photographs.

Perspective showing the size 

Showing young

Psathyrella ammophila - Dune Brittlestem

Psathyrella ammophila - Dune Brittlestem

Within 24 hours of arriving at Arbroath on the East coast of Scotland my friend took me to Carnoustie beach. A small sand and rock beach with some sand dunes remaining.  Some of the dunes have vanished over the years as sea defences have had to be built.

It's a real treat for me to visit the coastline and am always on the lookout for mushrooms that grow in such a habitat.  On the walk back to the car park I stumbled across a handful of Dune Brittlestem.  I find it amazing that fungus can survive in such a hostile environment surrounded by marram grass.  Anyway it made my day as they were at their prime and the photographs are below.

Characteristics:

Cap up to 3 cm across.  Clay coloured, slowly turning darker brown with ultra fine hairs that are only visible with a magnifying glass.  Gills initially pale then dark brown and finally black.  Quite broad and close.  Stem pallid brown, smooth, virtually equal, slender and slightly rooting.  No ring.  Can be hollow.  To be found in local dunes between May and September.

Showing the pale cap in the marram grass

Showing the crowded gills

Showing the pale stem and the slight 'root'

Showing the perspective group in the dunes