Fungus · GBIF taxon 2593983
Melastiza chateri
Melastiza chateriAlso known as Common Orange Cup, Orange Disco
Melastiza chateri forms striking bright orange to reddish cup-shaped fruit bodies that dot bare, damp soil along garden paths and woodland tracks. The outer surface and margins of the tiny cups are lined with short, inconspicuous brown hairs that help distinguish it from other cup fungi. As a saprotrophic organism, it plays an active role in breaking down fine organic matter within disturbed soil environments.
FungusCup FungusOrange
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Saprotrophic
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Fungus Gnats
ThreatsSevere ground compaction and heavy vegetation overgrowth
HabitatsBare damp soil, gravel tracks, woodland paths, ditch banks
Life spanFruiting bodies last 1 to 2 weeks, underground mycelium lives perennially
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPyronemataceae
- SpeciesMelastiza chateri
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild fungi have dangerous look-alikes; never ingest wild mushrooms based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Use a Hand Lens: Inspect the outer cup surface and rim closely for fine brownish hairs.
- Scan Bare Dirt: Search along damp, compacted dirt paths and track edges where vegetation is low.
- Tread Lightly: Watch your step on soil tracks to avoid trampling these tiny fruiting bodies.
Similar Appearance (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Family Member (c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Rockefeller · cc-by
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