Cup Fungi And Morels

This group gathers Fungi subcategory members belonging to the cup fungi and morels, ascomycetes whose fruiting body departs from the gilled mushroom body plan in favor of an open, often brightly colored cup, saddle or honeycombed cap that exposes its spore-producing surface directly to the air rather than sheltering it beneath a cap. It spans true cup fungi such as the scarlet elf cup, whose vivid red interior stands out sharply against leaf litter and bare wood in early spring, saddle-shaped species such as the elfin saddle, recognizable by its irregularly lobed, folded cap, and the true morels, prized, highly sought-after edible fungi whose honeycombed, pitted cap is unlike any other fungus most foragers will encounter. Nearly every member here fruits briefly in spring, in contrast to the longer fruiting season typical of many gilled mushrooms, and several, morels especially, form ectomycorrhizal or saprotrophic relationships tied closely to particular tree species or to recently disturbed or burned ground.