Also known as Lemon Discos, Fairy Cups, Yellow Discs
Yellow fairy cups crowd onto barkless, decaying hardwood logs in brilliant golden swarms during late summer and autumn. These minute, disc-shaped ascomycetes play a vital ecological role by breaking down structural lignin and cellulose in dead wood. Spores are actively ejected into forest air currents from microscopic sacs lining the upper surface of each cup when humidity and temperature conditions align.
SaprotrophicWoodlandCup Fungus
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—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
Decaying wood
Cellulose
Lignin
Predators
Fungus gnats
Springtails
Fungivorous beetles
ThreatsDeforestation and intensive forest clearing of deadwood
HabitatsDeciduous and mixed temperate woodlands
Life spanFruiting bodies persist 1–3 weeks; mycelium lives years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
FamilyPezizellaceae
SpeciesCalycina citrina
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
Hand Lens: Examine clusters with a 10x magnifier to appreciate the tiny, smooth disc structures.
Log Etiquette: Roll fallen logs gently to inspect undersides, then always return them to protect woodland humidity.
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