Day 123: First of all, I would ask my readers to forgive me for not identifying this tiny treasure any more precisely than a "bird's-nest fungus." That's the best an amateur can hope to achieve when further breakdown requires scientific apparatus capable of measuring spores in the 8-20 micron range. "Best guesses" are not acceptable when documenting species. An expert might be able to differentiate them from photos, but I am not so skilled. I simply enjoy them, and in this case, I found a wealth of them on the banks of the Nisqually River at Longmire.
What fascinates me about the Bird's-Nests is the way they propagate. The spores are contained in little "eggs" called peridioles. When it rains, the cups fill up and the peridioles are washed out. In some species, the peridioles may be attached to the cup by a thread-like cord. All species are quite small, tinier than a thimble. Some may be as much as 18 mm. tall. This particular specimen was approximately 12 mm. high and 6-7 mm. in diameter, and was hosting an abundant store of grey peridioles.
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