Scutellinia erinaceus

Description

Scutellinia erinaceus is characterized by its small, discoid to slightly concave apothecia, a dull orange hymenophore tinged with yellow or brown, dense dark brown external hairs, a gregarious growth pattern on rotten wood, and distinctive microscopic characteristics. In terms of edibility, it is categorized as inedible.

This species was first described by Ludwig David von Schweinitz and received its current name from Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze in 1891. Scutellinia erinaceus belongs to the genus Scutellinia and the family Pyronemataceae

Common names: Orange Eyelash Cup.

Mushroom Identification

1. Fruit body

   0.2-0.4 cm in diameter, discoid to slightly concave, sessile, with a wavy margin.

2. Hymenophore

   Smooth, shiny or dull, dull orange tinged with yellow to brown, whitish when dry.

3. External Face

   Brownish, densely covered with stiff, brown hairs, which extend beyond the margin.

4. Habitat

   Scutellinia erinaceus is a saprotrophic fungus that thrives on decaying hardwood. It can be found during the period from July to October, although it is considered a rare species.

5. Asci

   Cylindrical, with 8 uniseriate spores, inamyloid, measuring up to 270-325 x 12-15 µm.

6. Paraphyses

   (Sub)clavate, septate, unbranched, with granular orange content when fresh, enlarging up to 2-5 µm in diameter towards the apex.

7. Spores

   Ellipsoid-elongated, smooth, with granular content giving the impression of fine markings, hyaline, measuring (14)17-21(26) x (9)11.5(15) µm, with a Q-value of 1.7.

8. External hairs

   Superficial hairs absent or very indistinct. Abundant root hairs, pointed at the ends, rarely stubby or constricted; some are distinctly twisted or have short lateral teeth, and they are indistinctly septate. They are dark brown and measure (100)400-600(700) x (20)28(40) µm towards the base.

Synonyms

1. Trichophaea erinaceus (Schwein.) Le Gal 1953

2. Humaria erinacea (Schwein.) Kanouse 1948

3. Patella erinaceus (Schwein.) Morgan 1902

4. Peziza erinaceus Schwein. 1822

5. Lachnea erinaceus (Schwein.) Cooke

Photo sources:

Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3 - sarahduhon (CC BY 4.0)