zz – ascomycetes - apothecial (Cup fungus)

This is a pigeon-hole for those cup-like fruitbodies are apothecia and present puzzles as far as identification is concerned. For some, it may be possible to suggest an identification in the future.

 The zz is there simply to force this group to the end of the alphabetic list of genera/species, since this category would be of no relevance to most users of Canberra Nature Map.

An apothecium is a fruit body that, when viewed from above is generally more-or-less circular in outline. In an apothecium spores are produced within microscopic pods, mostly elongated, called asci. A fungus that produces spores in asci is called an ascomycete.  

There are many genera of apothecium-producing fungi and apothecia range from less than a millimetre to 10 centimetres in diameter. An apothecium may be disc-like, saucer-like or with much greater curvature so as mimic a cup or urn. Some have stems others lack stems; some have marginal roughness or hairs, others are smooth. They come in a wide variety of colours but the larger ones (say more than 2 centimetres across) are generally dull-coloured in shades of brown.

Apothecial ascomycetes are also known as discomycetes.