Small, sessile apothecia form bright orange‑scarlet discs 5–15 mm wide whose margins are fringed with conspicuous, stiff, dark “eyelash” hairs up to 1 mm long. The hymenial surface is smooth and vividly coloured, while the exterior is paler and densely tomentose. Flesh thin (< 1 mm), gelatinous when wet, becoming brittle on drying. Microscopy: asci cylindric 300 × 25 µm; ascospores ellipsoid, minutely warted, 17–20 × 11–13 µm, each containing one to several lipid droplets; paraphyses filiform, septate. No stipe is present. Young fruit bodies are nearly spherical, opening to shallow cups at maturity.
Cap (disc) 5–15 mm Ø; thickness < 1 mm
Data deficient
Individual apothecium 2–4 wk; mycelium potentially years
Not applicable (fungus)
Not applicable (fungus)
Mycelium may fruit 3–6 mo after colonising substrate
Year‑round in humid tropics; peaks early rainy season (May–July)
Small, sessile apothecia form bright orange‑scarlet discs 5–15 mm wide whose margins are fringed with conspicuous, stiff, dark “eyelash” hairs up to 1 mm long. The hymenial surface is smooth and vividly coloured, while the exterior is paler and densely tomentose. Flesh thin (< 1 mm), gelatinous when wet, becoming brittle on drying. Microscopy: asci cylindric 300 × 25 µm; ascospores ellipsoid, minutely warted, 17–20 × 11–13 µm, each containing one to several lipid droplets; paraphyses filiform, septate. No stipe is present. Young fruit bodies are nearly spherical, opening to shallow cups at maturity.
Decomposer breaking down lignocellulose; accelerates nutrient cycling in forest floor
Natural micro‑lenses
Tiny water droplets that collect between the “eyelash” hairs act like miniature lenses, focusing sunlight onto the cup. This helps the fertile surface dry quickly after light rain, priming it for spore release.
Synchronized spore catapults
The asci (spore sacs) discharge almost simultaneously when humidity drops and temperature rises, creating a brief orange “puff” of spores that can be seen drifting in back‑light.
Chemical bar‑code
The fungus produces a unique cocktail of carotenoid pigments and organic acids; mycologists use this chemical “signature” to distinguish Scutellinia from other bright‑orange cup fungi.
Rapid ecological engineer
It often colonizes freshly fallen wood within just two weeks, beginning lignin breakdown well before larger decomposers (e.g., Ganoderma species) arrive on the scene.
Global hitchhiker
Its sticky, warted spores cling to boot soles and vehicle tires, allowing unsuspecting hikers and maintenance crews to spread the species into parks and urban gardens worldwide.
Shallow coral and rocky reefs, sand flats, seagrass beds and mangrove channels from intertidal pools to ≈ 70 m; in Costa Rica abundant around Isla del Caño, Golfo Dulce, Bahía Culebra, and Caribbean patch reefs of Cahuita.
