and persistent. Texture: whitish beneath a gray to brown or dull cinnamon scurfy or shaggy layer. Color: grey to dark buff. Epiphragm: tufted, yellow-brown. Nest Interior: Color: white to yellowish or brown. Texture: smooth. Eggs: 1.5–2 mm wide, light grey-brown, and smooth. Habit: Gregarious to clustered. Habitat: branches, stumps, and woody debris. Distribution: primarily a North American species confined to Pacific Northwest south to California (Petersons et al., 2026).


Acknowledgments:


Canadian mycologist Harold J. Brodie wrote a very readable book on BNF that is available at some online bookstores for around $30.


Tank you to Dr. Greg Torn, Western


Figure 9. A cluster of Cyathus olla. Notice how growing so close together distorts the nest shape. Renée Lebeuf photo.


timber, manured soil, and coastal dunes. Distribution: worldwide (Barron 1999; Emberger, 2022).


Nidula candida (jellied bird’s nest fungi) Nidula candida is the most common


bird’s nest fungus in the Pacific


Northwest extending from Alaska to California. Candida is from Latin meaning “white or bright.” Nest Exterior: Size: 10 to 15 mm tall, 0.3–0.8 cm across. Shape: cylindric or cushion-shaped becoming mug-shaped or flowerpot-shaped when mature, recurved rim at maturity. Layers: tough


University Canada, for reviewing the article, to Dr. Nicholas Money for supplying the egg dispersal illustration, and to Renee Lebeuf, Pieter van Heerden, Stephen Mudge, and Jonathon Marks who freely shared their images.


References Cited


Barron, G. 1999. Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada. Lone Pine Publishing.


Figure 10. A cluster of Nidula candida with its distinct nest features. Renée Lebeuf photo. Summer 2026 FUNGI Volume 19:2 15


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