Tarzetta catinus (Holmsk.) Korf & J.K. Rogers - Toothed Cup

Tarzetta catinus, an ascomycete cup fungus

Taxonomy

Class: Pezizomycetes

Order: Pezizales

Family: Pyrenomataceae

This rather uncommon pezizoid fungus appears on rotten wood and on woodchip mulch. The neat, inedible little cups are often gregarious, jostling their neighbours for growing space and so developing irregularly. (Pictures: Robert Fisher)

Like so many of the cup fungi, identification is almost impossible without microscopic examination. Tarzetta catinus is difficult to separate from Tarzetta cupularis, which usually fruits in scattered groups rather than clustered.

Identification guide

	Description Fruitbody comprises a fairly deep cup 1.5 to 5cm across often with only a rudimentary stem; inner surface is smooth, light ochre; outer surface is also light to mid ochre but downy; margin incurved and often darker brown towards the rim.
	Spores Ellipsoidal, smooth, 18.5-26 x 10-13µm. Spore print White.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive. Like nearly all of the cup fungi, this species in inedible.
Habitat	In broadleaf woodland, mostly under Beech trees; also on rotten wood and on woodchip mulch.
Season	June to November in Britain and Ireland.
Occurrence	Uncommon.
Similar species	There are at least 100 Peziza species and most are various shades of fawn or brown. Definite identification is rarely possible without microscopic examination.

Reference Sources

Fascinated by Fungi, Pat O'Reilly 2011.

Dennis, R.W.G. (1981). British Ascomycetes; Lubrecht & Cramer; ISBN: 3768205525.

Dictionary of the Fungi; Paul M. Kirk, Paul F. Cannon, David W. Minter and J. A. Stalpers; CABI, 2008

Taxonomic history and synonym information on these pages is drawn from many sources but in particular from the British Mycological Society's GB Checklist of Fungi and (for basidiomycetes) on Kew's Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota.