Sarcoscypha coccinea
English: Scarlet elf cup; Scarlet elf cap; Scarlet cup; Red cup; Moss Cups; Fairies’ Baths.
Synonym: Molliardiomyces eucoccinea, the asexual from.
Clades: Sarcoscyphaceae; Pezizales.
Region: Northern Hemisphere, Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia.
Habitat: temperate climates; on decaying sticks and branches; damp spots on forest floors, buried; under leaf litter or in the soil.
Use: medicinally by the Oneida Native Americans.
Mycology
Saprobic; fruiting in cooler months.
Fruit bodies: cup-shaped; brilliant red interior, lighter-colored exterior; small, insubstantial, tough texture.
Taxonomy
Often confused with Sarcoscypha occidentalis, Sarcoscypha austriaca, and Sarcoscypha dudleyi.