Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A study in scarlet ...




































We found these delightful specimens of scarlet elf cap (Sarcoscypha austriaca) along the Tees Railway Path between Romaldkirk and Middleton-in-Teesdale today. This small goblet-shaped specimen was only a couple of centimetres tall and growing on a dead twig.




The larger specimens - about four centimetres in diameter - were a deeper shade of scarlet with a very smooth inner surface. It's typically a fungus of early spring and was growing under old hawthorns, where another scarlet apparition .....



















... was enjoying the spring sunshine and singing with the volume turned all the way up to 11.


10 comments:

  1. Oh they are so beautiful. Why do you think these colors are seen only in temperate countries and not in the tropics. It seems the opposite for plants.

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  2. We don't have many toadstools with colours that are this vivid Andrea - most tend to be grey or brown..

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  3. My wife thought they were discarded sweet wrappers when she first spotted them, Adrian ...

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  4. Those elves, eh? Always leaving their gaudy crockery for other people to wash up.

    Fantastic back-lit first shot, Phil.

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  5. They look almost magical. Aren't Robins wonderful singers?

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  6. I wish I could get these toadstools to grow in my garden, Graeme..

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  7. I've been listening to two robins duelling in song for a female in our garden this evening, toffeeapple - beautiful, but I think it's going to end with a fight...

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  8. It's a lovely little toadstool, John, and we were lucky to find it on a rare sunny day...

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