Devil's Urn HWSM 02 019

2022-11-22T00:00:00Z

Devil's Urn "Decaying oak branches, lying on the forest floor, especially when partly buried in the soil or leaf litter, constitute the natural substratum for the growth of Urnula craterium and for production of its apothecia. During late autumn the surfaces of such branches that are in contact with the ground may be found to be covered with a dense, black, mycelial weft that extends into the soil and litter and binds all of them together. At this time leathery, black cylindric stromata, one or more centimeters in length and 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter, will be noted to have arisen from the copious mycelial weft. They stand quite closely applied to the decaying branches. These stromata enlarge slowly throughout the winter" (p. 837). Wolf, Frederick A. "Mechanism of Apothecial Opening and Ascospore Expulsion by the Cup-Fungus Urnula craterium." Mycologia . Vol. 50, no. 6, 1958. http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/cyberliber/59350/0050/006/0837.htm