Geopyxis carbonaria “Goblet Fungus” Ascomycota
Lolo National Forest, Bitterroot Mountains, MT
March 18, 2015
Robert Niese
These adorable cup fungi are inordinately abundant in areas following fires. We counted more than a hundred in a single square meter on a hillside that had burned in 2013.
Pseudoplectania nigrella “black cup fungus” Ascomycota
Lolo National Forest, Bitterroot Mountains, MT
March 18, 2015
Robert Niese
These cup fungi are very early bloomers here in the PNW. Some members of this genus will even pop up out of the snow before the plants have even begun to stir. These fungi are quite common, but, along with their small size and inconspicuous coloration, they are easily missed by all but the most observant hikers.
Northwest Naturalist 