Any idea what THIS is????

[beac]

One of my pansies in a pot just gave up the ghost (not a bad run, considering I planted it in early April). Anyway, as I was pulling out the dead pansy plant, I found several tiny fungi (?, I guessing here) shaped like upside-down bells with 3-4 little seeds/spores (?, again guesses) inside. Pictures below.

Googling has produced no info. Anyone know what I'm growing??

[Denninmi]

1. Yup, I sure do.

They come up frequently in my yard.

It's called a "birds nest" fungus. The little "eggs" inside are actually the sporangia, the spore bearing structures.

They are harmless little mushrooms/fungi that are beneficial, breaking down mostly wood fiber and releasing the nutrients.

And, I may add, cute. But, not edible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidulariaceae

[beac]

2. Aha! I should have used "birds nest" instead of "upside-down bell"

in my Googling!

Thanks, Denninmi. As always, you are a font of knowledge. :yourock:

[Kolesar]

3. They just amazed us kids when we were told to go find plants on a nature hike

One of the boys found that one and stumped the adult.

[trud]

4. are those cute. n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Now that you know what they look like, and how small they are,

I bet you will see bird's nest fungi in mulch all the time. They are very common in mulch. I have 3 different kinds.