mushroom club of georgia

Mushroom Club of Georgia

mushroom club of georgia

Mushroom Club of Georgia

Dark cup-shaped fungi growing on a forest floor among dry leaves and branches.

Each spring, an unassuming yet striking cup fungus emerges: Urnula craterium, better known as the Devil’s Urn. With its dark goblet-shaped cups standing sentinel on buried oak branches, it’s both a fungal spectacle and a harbinger of the true spring mushroom season.

 

Common Names: Devil’s Urn, Gray Urn, Crater Cup
Family: Sarcosomataceae
Season: March – May
Habitat: Deciduous forests, on buried hardwood branches

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

  • First Described: 1822 by Lewis David de Schweinitz (as Peziza craterium)

  • Current Name: Assigned by Elias Fries in 1851

  • Etymology:

    • Urnula = Latin “little urn”

    • craterium = Latin for “bowl” or “crater,” reflecting its shape

Did You Know?
The imperfect (asexual) stage, Conoplea globosa, causes oak cankers known as Strumella canker.

Morphology & Quick ID Guide

Shape: Deep goblet/urn, 2–6 cm tall; cup widens to 3–8 cm across
Color: Outer and inner surfaces dark brown to nearly black; margin slightly ragged
Texture: Thick, leathery, rubbery; persists for weeks
Stipe: Short, thick stem, typically hidden when on buried wood
Spore Print: Dark brownish-black
Microscopic: Elliptical, smooth spores; hairs covering stipe base when magnified

Photo 266115341, (c) Kimmie Paxton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kimmie Paxton

 

Did You Know?
Groupings of Urnula will often grow along the bottom of branches and sticks on the ground.  It can look like they are actually growing on the wood rather than coming out of the ground. 

Ecology & Habitat

  • Saprobic & Parasitic: Feeds on dead buried hardwood (saprobe) and also acts as a parasite on living oak branches.

  • Substrate: Prefers small to medium oak branches, often buried just below the soil surface.

  • Phenology: One of the earliest fleshy fungi, fruiting March through May, sometimes even under melting snow.

  • Associations: Presence often indicates imminent morel season for foragers.

 

Geographic Distribution

  • North America: Common east of the Rockies; from the Gulf Coast through southern Canada.

  • Europe & Asia: Recorded in temperate forests from the Czech Republic to Japan .

  • Conservation:

    • Red-listed in parts of Europe due to forestry practices.

    • Stable in most North American woodlands.

 

Edibility & Uses

  • Edibility: Generally listed as inedible due to its tough, rubbery texture; taste described as “mediocre” by Michael Kuo (2007) .

  • Bioactive Compounds:

    • Produces pestalotin and related molecules with in vitro antifungal properties (against aspen pathogens) .

    • Potential future source of natural fungicides—research ongoing.

 

Observing & Photographing Tips

  1. Where to Look: Along leaf-litter edges on deciduous trails in March–April.

  2. Photography:

    • Use a macro lens to capture textured cup interior.

    • Angle low, with diffuse lighting to bring out the leathery sheen.

  3. Citizen Science: Upload observations to iNaturalist to help track range shifts.

 

Join an MCG Foray!

Love spring fungi?
Visit the Event Calendar and Register for our Spring Forays » to see Devil’s Urns in person, meet fellow members, learn ID tips, and help us map their distribution!

References