Ruby Elf Cup

The edge of the cup in the scarlet elf cup has a comb tooth like surface whereas the ruby elf cup has a unevenly thick ridged edge which is more complete than the edge of a scarlet elf cup specimen.

Ruby elf cup.

Thank you for information on scarlet elf cup fungi out walking today in a woodland area. Indeed the edibility of scarlet elf cups is disputed. More common in areas of higher rainfall. Sarcocypha coccinea and sarcoscypha austriaca.

As its name suggests the ruby elfcup is a bright red cup shaped fungus. The ruby elf cup is more likely to be mistaken but is much more rare than the scarlet elf cup. Sarcoscypha coccinea the ruby elfcup in common with the macroscopically almost identical scarlet elfcup sarcoscypha austriaca appears in winter on dead twigs. How people can help fungi play an important role within our ecosystems helping to recycle nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter and providing food and shelter for different.

The cap has microscopic tubes called asci that release the spores from the upper cup of the mushroom. Coccinea has been known by many names. Small bright red cups with short stems appear in late winter and spring on twigs and branches. Scarlet elf cup identification edibility distribution march 2 2013.

It is also more orange than red and does look remarkably like orange peel so much so that some mycologists have been known to. Very similar in appearance to the scarlet elf cup sarcosypha austriaca. The scarlet elf cup has slightly curved or straight microscopic hairs on the outside of the cup whereas the ruby elf cup has curly or coiled hairs. Scarlet elf cup sarcoscypha coccinea is virtually indistinguishable from the similar ruby elf cup sarcoscypha austriaca without microscopy.

They are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye. Both these species are variously referred to as scarlet or crimson elf cups. Sarcoscypha coccinea commonly known as the scarlet elf cup scarlet elf cap or the scarlet cup is a species of fungus in the family sarcoscyphaceae of the order pezizales the fungus widely distributed in the northern hemisphere has been found in africa asia europe north and south america and australia the type species of the genus sarcoscypha s. Sarcoscyphaceae distribution taxonomic history etymology identification culinary notes reference sources.

Almost identical and edible ruby elfcup sarcosypha coccinea although several different sources confuse the two. Both of them are generally reckoned to be edible and their vivid red colour serves to distinguish them from anything else. This fungus is uncommon in the uk though reasonably widespread.