Mushroom Monday: Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea)

Mushroom Monday: Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea)

Today’s Mushroom Monday mushroom is the scarlet elf cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea).  The common name, which varies and is shared with other mushrooms, describes the look quite well – it looks like a little red cup an elf might use.  Learn more about it today, in our latest TrueTreeTalk post.

What Do Scarlet Elf Cup Mushrooms Look Like?

Scarlet elf cup mushrooms have a cup shape with irregular edges.  They are small in size, roughly around 1.5 inches across, and are smooth or have fine hairs.  The upper side of the cap is red in color and can fade to an orange hue as it ages.  The underside of the cap is lighter in color, and can appear whitish with the red of the top side being seen through it.  Sometimes they have no stems, and other times the stem can be rudimentary in nature.  When there is a stem it is like a continuation of the cap.

Where Can Scarlet Elf Cup Mushrooms Be Found?

Scarlet elf cup mushrooms can be found in a number of countries, though they can be sporadic.  In North America, they can be found in California and the Pacific Northwest, though there are very similar variations in other states.  They are saprophytic mushrooms that grow on dead sticks of hardwoods.  They can be found in forests and can be found under leaves.  The mushroom fruiting body appears in spring and winter and they can be seen in places that are damp.

A Mushroom With A Sound?

When scarlet elf cup mushrooms release their spores, they do so with a puff.  This can sometimes be heard if it happens close by.

We’ve looked at another elf cup before, the green elf cup.  If you liked learning about these elf cup mushrooms, check out our other Mushroom Monday posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog.  Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.

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