Day 109: It doesn't take a lot of imagination to picture elves and faerie folk sipping their beverages of choice from the elegant goblets of Sarcoscypha coccinea, the "Scarlet Elf Cup" of our Pacific Northwest forests. Normally a late-season species, this specimen was one of two I found while on a hike day before yesterday, and was easily three times the size of the first one I'd spotted. S. coccinea is saprobic, i.e., it is a decomposer which feeds on organic material. It occurs on hardwood, sometimes so well-concealed and buried by other debris that the fungus may appear terrestrial. In this case, its substrate was undoubtedly Red Alder (Alnus rubra), the dominant tree species at this location. I have also found it in association with Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum). While some field guides list it as edible, the words "in a pinch" come quickly to mind. In a desperate situation, one might find that they took the edge off a ravenous hunger, but they would not be my choice for cream soup or a gravy to go over steak.
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