Cyathus

Cyathus is a genus of fungi in the Nidulariaceae, a family collectively known as the bird’s nest fungi. The 45 species are widely distributed throughout the world and some are found in most countries, although a few exist in only one or two locales. Species of Cyathus are also known as splash cups, which refers to the fact that falling raindrops can knock the peridioles out of the open-cup fruit body.

About Cyathus in brief

Cyathus is a genus of fungi in the Nidulariaceae, a family collectively known as the bird’s nest fungi. The 45 species are widely distributed throughout the world and some are found in most countries, although a few exist in only one or two locales. Species of Cyathus are also known as splash cups, which refers to the fact that falling raindrops can knock the peridioles out of the open-cup fruit body. The life cycle of this genus allows it to reproduce both sexually, with meiosis, and asexually via spores. Several CyathUS species produce bioactive compounds, some with medicinal properties, and several lignin-degrading enzymes from the genus may be useful in bioremediation and agriculture. Phylogenetic analysis is providing new insights into the evolutionary relationships between the various species in CyathUs, and has cast doubt on the validity of the older classification systems that are based on traditional taxonomic characteristics. Some species, like C. striatus and C.  setosus, have conspicuous bristles called setae on the rim of the cup. The fruit body is often expanded at the base into a solid rounded mass of hyphae called an emplacement, which typically becomes tangled and entwined with small fragments of the underlying growing surface, improving its stability and helping it from being knocked over by rain.

Immature fruit bodies have a whitish membrane, an epiphragium, that covers the peridium opening when young, but eventually dehisces, breaking open during maturation. The peridium is made of three distinct layers— meso-, and ectoperidium, referring to the inner, middle, and outer layers. It is essentially similar to Nidula or Crucibulum, but older specimens of Nidula may have worn off from the hairy, hairy endoperial surface. Because the basic fruit body in alla of the family is smooth, and depending on the species, may have longitudinal grooves, or may have a hairy, endoperidial surface, depending on how old it is. The basic fruitBody in all a genera of Nidularaceae is essentially the same, but the ectoperium is usually hairy, and the meso-endoperidium is usually smooth, or hairy, the middle, or ectoperial. The genus was established in 1768 by the Swiss scientist Albrecht von Haller; the generic name is Latin, but originally derived from the Ancient Greek word κύαθος, meaning “cup’s”. The species are generally considered inedible, since they obtain nutrients from decomposing organic matter. They usually grow on decaying wood or woody debris, on cow and horse dung, or directly on humus-rich soil. The name is derived from Greek word “cups’”, which means ‘cup” or ‘cushion’.

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