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Smooth goblet (Crucibulum laeve), also called smooth crucibulum, belongs to the Champignon family and the genus Crucibulum. First described by the British botanist, Fellow of the Royal Society, William Hudson in the XNUMXth century.
Where the smooth goblet grows
The cosmopolitan mushroom is found everywhere. Being a saprotroph, the goblet is involved in the process of processing woody remains into nutritious humus. It grows on deadwood, stumps, fallen trunks and branches sunk into the soil. It can take a fancy to old, crumbling into dust, wooden structures – benches, beams, fences, decks, walls of sheds and houses. Also found in gardens, parks, old clearings and fields. It lives both on conifers and on hardwoods – spruce, pine, cedar, birch, oak.
The period of active growth begins in July and lasts until October-November, and in the southern regions longer, until persistent frosts. It grows in large colonies, often fruiting bodies are closely pressed against each other, forming a continuous carpet. Does not occur alone. Fruiting bodies devoid of spore-containing peridiols tolerate winter well and survive until spring.
The original fruiting bodies look like miniature nests with eggs or a scattering of sweets in a paper cup.
What does a smooth glass look like?
A smooth goblet has a very interesting appearance that differs at different stages of fruiting. Only the bodies that have appeared look like small outgrowths of a club-shaped, ovoid or barrel shape, covered with a long white pile with separate reddish scales. On top is a kind of round-toroidal membrane – the “lid”, also felt-fluffy. It changes its color from white-cream and beige to egg yellow, orange, ocher or brownish.
As it develops, the sides darken to sandy, rufous, amber, honey, or brownish brown. The upper membrane breaks, leaving the goblet-shaped fruiting body open. The inner surface of the fungus is grayish-white, brown, yellowish-sand, smooth. The pulp is rubbery, dense, light chestnut or reddish in color. It has a height of 0,3 to 1,1 cm, a diameter of 0,2 to 0,7 cm.
White, gray or slightly yellowish spore storages have a lenticular or toroidal shape, ranging in size from 1 to 2 mm. They are covered with a strong wax shell, and in the lower part they have an adhesive thread that securely sticks the flying “pill” to grass, bushes, animals and people. So the smooth glass “moves” to a new habitat. Usually the number of spore storages in one “glass” is from 10 to 15 pieces.
In the colony, fruiting bodies can be seen at various stages of development.
Is it possible to eat a glass of smooth
There is no exact data on the chemical composition of the smooth goblet in the public domain, therefore it is recognized as an inedible species. Whether it is toxic is unknown. Due to its tiny size and parchment-thin pulp, it is of no interest to mushroom pickers and has an extremely low culinary value.
The smooth glass has a rather unusual appearance
Similar doppelgangers
The smooth goblet at the time of appearance can be confused with representatives of its own species.
- Crucibulum dung. Inedible. Usually lives on heaps of humus, manure. Rarely found on wood. It is distinguished by a darker color of the inner surface and ash-black, with a brilliant sheen, color of the peridioles.
Differs in a darker color of the inner surface and ash-black, with a brilliant sheen, color of the peridioles
- Oll’s Crucibulum. Inedible. Differs in a silver-blue color of spore-carriers.
Inside the tiny goblets are mother-of-pearl “buttons”
Conclusion
Smooth goblet – a mushroom from the genus Bokalchikov, is a typical representative of this interesting species. Inedible. Grows everywhere on rotting wood, fallen trees, forest floor and branches. It occurs in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, meadows, fields. The mushroom picker begins its development in July and grows until frost. Old fruiting bodies live well until the next season. Grows in large, close-knit groups. The angle of inclination of the walls of the “glass” is ideally designed for active splashing of the contents.
