Woods Elves

Day 153: The woodland elves are out and about! Although these two species of "elf-cups" are similar in overall shape (i.e., you'd call them both "cup fungi"), they are in fact only cousins removed by several degrees. In taxonomic rank, there is a specific hierarchy: Domain, Kingdom, Phyllum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. These two diverge at Family, with Sarcoscypha coccinea (Scarlet Elf-Cup) in the Sarcoscyphaceae and Pseudoplectania vogesiaca (no common name, sometimes listed as S. melanaea) in Sarcosomataceae. In simpler terms, their relationship to each other is on the same level as that of dogs to foxes (stealing my example from Wikipedia because I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet). They might look as if one could be a figurative Pekingese and the other perhaps a Doberman, but their genetic tree splits at a higher point. Why? In part, the distinction lies in the shape, size and number of spores contained in each ascus. Both are saprobic, which is to say you'll find them on dead wood, happily assisting with the decomposition process which keeps our forests healthy and vibrant. Elves in the woods! As conspiracy theories go, that's a pretty good one, and here's the evidence.