Day 81: Experts will argue that Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea) is peculiar to the Pacific Northwest despite the fact that the name has been applied to similar fungi elsewhere in the world. Whatever its range, one thing is certain: it will stop you in your tracks when you encounter it in the deep, dark forest as I did when I was hiking into Sulphur Creek Falls. I've seen it there before, although somewhat closer to springtime. Its colour is a striking salmon-red, and its exterior surface is covered with a white "bloom" which makes it appear pink at first glance. It grows on decaying hardwood twigs and often appears in multiples, emerging from beneath deteriorating leaf litter. When it releases its spores, it may do so in a fog-like burst resembling that of a puffball mushroom. Now there's a phenomenon I'd like to record!
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