Crucibulum laeve Crucibulum laeve

Bird's nest fungi

        Bird's nest fungi are so distinctive that they are not likely to be confused with other types of fungi. The fruiting body resembles a miniature bird's nest containing eggs. The "eggs" are packets of spores that are dispersed as a unit from their nest (sometimes for a distance of a couple of feet) by the force of falling raindrops. The outer wall of the "egg" then decays or is eaten away by small animals and the spores within are released. Bird's nest fungi are decomposers and commonly occur on twigs, branches, logs and other types of woody debris.



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