Disciotis venosa

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***Disciotis venosa***, commonly known as the **bleach cup**, **veiny cup fungus**, or the **cup morel** is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae. Fruiting in April and May, they are often difficult to locate because of their nondescript brown color. Found in North America and Europe, they appear to favor banks and slopes and sheltered sites. Although *D. venosa* is considered edible, it may resemble several other species of brown cup fungi of unknown edibility.

## Taxonomy

The fungus was first described as *Peziza venosa* by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1801, from collections made near Klagenfurt, Austria. Jean Louis Émile Boudier transferred it to *Disciotis* in 1893.

Bruno Perco described the form *Disciotis venosa* f. *radicans* from collections made in Italy.

The specific epithet *venosa*, meaning "veined", refers to the veins on the inner cup surface. Common names for the species include bleach cup, veiny cup fungus, and cup morel.

## Description

 File:Aderige Morchelbecherling Disciotis venosa 2.JPG
Fruit bodies produced by this fungus are cup- or disc-shaped, up to Template:Convert wide. The interior surface of the cup, the hymenium, is dark brown. It tends to become folded into vein-like markings, hence the specific epithet *venosa*; these markings, however, may be absent in young individuals. The exterior surface is a whitish color, covered with pustules. There is a short stipe that anchors the cup to the ground. Although young fruiting bodies are cup-shaped, when they are Template:Convert in diameter, the apothecia split and flatten down to lie in the soil. They are very brittle. The fruit bodies have been estimated to have a lifespan of up to 12 weeks. The flesh of the fungus has a bleach-like odor when it is broken.

### Microscopic characteristics

The spore are elliptical and smooth, with dimensions of 21–24 by 12–14 µm. The asci (spore-bearing cells), are 370–400 by 18–20 µm, while the paraphyses are stout and club-shaped, with tips that are up to 12 µm wide.

### Edibility

*Disciotis venosa* is edible, and choice, although one author notes that only collectors who have the equipment to check its microscopic characters should consider consuming the species, as it may be confused with several other brown cup fungi.

### Similar species

Species that may resemble *Disciotis venosa* include the "thick cup", species *Discina perlata* (also edible), as well as several species of *Peziza*. *Peziza* species generally have thinner flesh than *D. venosa*, and will turn a dark blue color if a drop of iodine solution is placed on it. Additionally, the tips of asci in *Peziza* species will stain blue with iodine, a feature that can be observed with a light microscope. Another lookalike, *Discina ancilis*, has an inner cup surface that is folded, wrinkled, or sometimes smooth, rather than veined. The outer cup surface has small tufts of hairs arranged in clumps.

## Habitat and distribution

This fungus is typically found growing on the ground among mossy or needle-covered soil among conifers; they are often difficult to notice because their brown color typically blends into the background. They have been noted to prefer to grow on banks or slopes rather than flat areas. This species is also referred to as a "snowbank mushroom" because fruit bodies typically appear around the edges of melting snowbanks. In Europe, the fungus typically fruits from March to May.

*Disciotis venosa* is found in North America and Europe (including Bulgaria, Sweden, Spain, and Wales). It also occurs in Turkey, where it is considered critically endangered.

## References

1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Persoon 1801`
2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Boudier 1893`
3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Perco 1994`
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Roberts 2011`
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Tylutki 1979`
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `McKnight 1987`
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Brown 1980`
8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Seaver 1917`
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Kibby 2000`
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Weber 1980`
11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Beug 2014`
12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Arora 1986`
13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Dimitrova 2011`
14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Ryman 1978`
15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Losantos 1981`
16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Çinar 2014`

## External links

* Template:IndexFungorum

Template:Morchellaceae
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