Nidula Niveotomentosa

For Valentine's Day, I went for a "hike" of roughly four miles on the Bud Blancher Trail. I put that word in quotes because it wasn't that long ago that 14-16 miles was an "average" hike for me, with anything under 10 not being worth a term stronger than "a walk." There were those days in my 50s when I'd cover 20-21 miles as a "long" day-hike, and even one which measured out at 29 miles and 7000' cumulative elevation gain and largely off trail when I was nearly 60. Ah, how the mighty have fallen! But that said, I still enjoy getting out there, especially when there are little gems like Nidula niveotomentosa to find. This "bird's-nest" fungus is characterized by its creamy white tomentose cup ("fuzzy") and its dark, free-floating peridioles (the "eggs"). It is fairly common in the Pacific Northwest, and should not be confused with the larger Nidula candida which has pale periodioles.

Cyathus Striatus, Streaked Bird's-Nest

Day 29: Bird's-nest fungi fascinate me, and this discovery gave me the opportunity to add a new species to my growing list of photo submissions to the WTU Herbarium. It is Cyathus striatus, variously known as Streaked Bird's-nest, Fluted Bird's-nest, Ribbed Splash Cup and a host of other common names. It is relatively easy to identify (at least here in the Pacific Northwest) by the combination of two distinctive features: the striations in the interior of the cup and the fluted "nest." It is somewhat shaggy (tomentose) on the exterior when fresh and not waterlogged, and young specimens may exhibit a pale "lid" on the cup. Once the lid opens, the peridioles are revealed. These lentil-shaped "eggs" hold the spores, and in this species, they are attached to the "nest" by a fine cord. This prevents the peridioles from being washed any distance from the parent, so the "nests" are frequently found in groupings such as this.

Penny Peridioles

Day 49: Nidula candida is arguably the most common bird's-nest fungus in Pacific Northwest forests. Its cups are persistent, i.e., you can find them year-'round, although the "eggs" may be absent. The tiny lentil-shaped structures shown in this Penny Perspective are called peridioles ("peh-RIH-dee-uhls") and contain the spores of the fungus. In the case of N. candida, a viscous substance holds the peridioles in the cups until rain washes them free. If you look carefully at the photo, you can see a few "eggs" outside the cups on the wood. In some other species of bird's-nests, the peridioles are attached to the cups by tiny threads. In either instance, the spores seldom fall more than a few inches from the parent fungus, a factor which generally allows bird's-nests to colonize in compact "family groups."

Nesting Season

Day 109: I've found a lot of interesting things by deviating from well-used trails to follow what Kevin calls "bunny tracks," and despite the fact that occasionally my finds have been things I'd rather not have found (notably human ashes, and not just once), the "road less travelled" often brings me botanical discoveries. Yesterday was a good example of hitting paydirt. I had gone up an overgrown side path, ducking under arching blackberry vines, shielding myself from encroaching salmonberry branches and poky-sticks as I went in search of the cast-out snowdrops I'd seen previously. After finding them (they were not quite open yet), I turned to go back, and in the differently angled light, a twig bearing a dozen or so bird's-nest fungi caught my eye. It's "nesting season" for these, the time when the egg-like, spore-bearing peridioles are exposed and have not yet been washed from the cups by rain. The goblet-shaped cups of this species (Crucibulum laeve) are less than 9 mm in height, with each "egg" measuring less than 2 mm. As in the case here, the exterior of the cups can appear smooth; in the inset, a young, unopened cup still bears a slight fuzz on its upper portion. Closer examination of the peridioles will show that each is attached to the cup by a short cord. This cord serves to keep the egg from straying too far from the parent cup when it is washed out (the peridioles of other species of bird's-nest are not attached).

A Thimbleful Of Peridioles

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.