Sarcoscypha coccinea (Scop.) Lamb.
Mem. Soc. Roy. Sci. Liege II. 14: 302. 1887.

Common Name: none

• Sporocarp

  Fruiting body 1-5 cm broad, 0.5-2 cm high, cupulate with a slightly inturned margin, cup interior (fertile surface) brilliant scarlet, margin whitish, cup exterior white, tomentose; stipe absent to 3 cm tall, 4-6 mm thick, tapering downwards.

• Spores

  Spores 24-35 x 10-14 µm elliptical, smooth, uniseriate, hyaline.

• Habitat

  Scattered to gregarious on buried or fallen branches of hardwoods, especially oaks (Quercus); late winter and spring.

• Edibility

  Questionable. Although insignificant in size, it is described as edible in some books; untried in our area.

• Comments

  Sarcoscypha coccinea is distinguished from other spring cup fungi by its relatively large size, a brilliant red hymenium, white cup exterior, and a lack of marginal hairs. The Scarlet Cup fruits late in the mushroom season, seldom before January.

• References

  Breitenbach, J. & Kränzlin, F. (1984). Fungi of Switzerland. Volume 1: Ascomycetes. Verlag Mykologia: Luzern, Switzerland. 310 p.
  Dennis, R.W.G. (1981). British Ascomycetes. J. Cramer: Vaduz, Liechtenstein. 585 p.
  Harrington, F.A. (1990). Sarcoscypha in North America (Pezizales, Sarcoscyphaceae). Mycotaxon 38: 417-458.
  Harrington, F.A. (1998). Relationships among Sarcoscypha Species: Evidence from Molecular and Morphological Characters. Mycologia 90(2): 235-243.
  Medardi, G. (2006). Ascomiceti d'Italia. Centro Studi Micologici: Trento. 454 p.
  Seaver, F.J. (1978). The North American Cup-Fungi (Operculates). Lubrecht & Cramer: Moncticello, N.Y. 377 p.

• Other Descriptions and Photos
  Main Photo
  • Michael Wood: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Michael Wood: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Fred Stevens: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Brother Alfred Brousseau: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Terry Goyan: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Robert Mackler: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Mark Steinmetz: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month: Sarcoscypha coccinea (D & CP)
  • Boleslaw Kuznik -- Hunting for Mushrooms: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Pilze, Pilze, Pilze: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Mushroom Observer: Sarcoscypha coccinea (CP)
  • Arora (1986): p. 836 (D), plate 210 (CP)
  • Arora (1991): p. 240 (CP)
  • Breitenbach & Kränzlin (v. 1): sp.120 (D, I, & CP)
  • Lincoff: p. 343 (D), plate 605 (CP)
  • Miller: sp. 402 (D & CP)
  • Smith & Weber: sp. 3 (D & CP)
  
  

  (D=Description; I=Illustration; P=Photo; CP=Color Photo)