Your *amazing* macroscopic plant detail photos.

[Turtle]

found & collected some of these amazing little things on wood chips spread out near a trail. not sure of genera yet. your thoughts? :phones: fascinating! :)

 

bird's nest fungus - order Nidulariaceae

 

Nidulariaceae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

...Spore dispersal

The nests are splash cups. When a raindrop hits one at the right angle, the walls are shaped such that the eggs are expelled a good distance from the nest. Some species have a sticky trailing thread, a funicular cord, attached to the peridiole. If that thread encounters a twig on its flight the egg will swing around and wrap itself around the twig. The spores can then germinate there and start the life cycle over again.

 

Genera

There are five genera in the Nidulariaceae family.

 

Crucibulum

Fruiting bodies light tan to cinnamon-colored, cup- or crucible-shaped, and typically 1.5–10 mm wide by 5–12 mm tall.

 

Cyathus

Fruiting bodies vase-, trumpet- or urn-shaped with dimensions of 4–8 mm wide by 7–18 mm tall. Fruiting bodies are brown to gray-brown in color, and covered with small hair-like structures on the outer surface. Complex funicular cord.

 

Mycocalia

Small barrel- to lens-shaped fruiting bodies, usually 0.5–2 mm broad, that grow singly or in small groups.

 

Nidula

Fruiting bodies between 3–8 mm in diameter, 5–15 mm tall, and cup- or urn-shaped—having almost vertical sides with the lip flared outwards; color ranging from white, grey, buff, or tawny.

 

Nidularia

Typically 0.5–6 mm in diameter x 0.5–3 mm tall. They may be somewhat irregular in shape, or have a well-formed cup that is thin and fragile. No funicular cord.

...

[Turtle]

i took more detail photos of the bird's nest fungi and have identified a funicular cord. :evil: of the five genera i earlier gave, i now think these specimens are in the genus Mycocalia. :rolleyes: no scale in the photo as it was physically impracticable to get the lens this close and still have light. not sure even a light-ring would help. () nonetheless, my photo in the previous post gives a suitable scale for the peridioles. fungal bolas anyone? how bizarre.

 

bird's nest fungus - order Nidulariaceae

funicular cord detail: peridioles (spore capsules) ~1.5mm diameter

[jab2]

Closeup of a female conebush ( Leucadendron spp) cone showing individual flowers. Leucadendron are a genus of the Proteaceae family.

 

The cone is about 15mm in length. Pardom the shallow depth of field.