Spring Orange Peel Fungus
Caloscypha fulgens
When bruised or aging, the bright orange cup of this fungus stains an intense blue-green color due to a chemical reaction.
- Scientific name
- Caloscypha fulgens
- Taxonomy
- Fungi › Ascomycota › Pezizomycetes › Pezizales › Caloscyphaceae › Caloscypha
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Coniferous forests, typically growing on damp soil, duff, or needle litter near melting snowbanks.
- Diet
- Saprotrophic, decomposing organic matter, particularly conifer needle litter and buried woody debris.
- Range
- North America, Europe, Asia
- Size
- Cups are 1 to 4 cm in diameter.
- Lifespan
- Fruiting bodies last 2-4 weeks; the underground mycelium can live for decades.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, intensive logging of old-growth coniferous forests, and climate change reducing winter snowpack.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch but inedible. Observe this beautiful cup fungus without disturbing its delicate structure. Do not consume, as its edibility is questionable and it may cause gastrointestinal distress. If accidentally ingested, monitor for symptoms and seek medical advice.
Caloscypha is a fungal genus in the family Caloscyphaceae (order Pezizales). A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Caloscypha fulgens , commonly known as the spring orange peel fungus , the golden cup , or the dazzling cup . It is a cup fungus, typically up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in diameter, with a bright to pale orange interior and orange; specimens that are old or bruised often have an olive-green discoloration, especially around the edges. In North America,...
Photo: pinonbistro, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/fdce72db-42c3-4ed2-84a3-ab27be2975e6.md