100px|Cyathus striatus

Cyathus is a genus of fungi in the Nidulariaceae, a family collectively known as the bird's nest fungi. They are given this name since they resemble tiny bird's nests filled with "eggs". The "eggs", or peridioles, are firmly attached to the inner surface of this fruiting body by an elastic cord of mycelia known as a funiculus. The 45 species are widely distributed throughout the world and some are found in most countries, although a few exist in only one or two locales. Cyathus stercoreus is considered endangered in a number of European countries. The internal and external surfaces of this cup may be ridged longitudinally; this is one example of a taxonomic characteristic that has traditionally served to distinguish between species. Generally considered inedible, Cyathus species are saprobic, since they obtain nutrients from decomposing organic matter. They usually grow on decaying wood or woody debris, on cow and horse dung, or directly on humus-rich soil. The life cycle of this genus allows it to reproduce both sexually, with meiosis, and asexually via spores. Phylogenetic analysis is providing new insights into the evolutionary relationships between the various species in Cyathus. (more...)

Recently featured: Battle of Rennell Island – Otto Julius Zobel – Nebula Science Fiction

Archive – By email – More featured articles...

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathus

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1649:

English Civil War: King Charles I , who was defeated in both the First and the Second Civil Wars, was beheaded for high treason in front of the Banqueting House in London. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England

1930:

Soviet meteorologist Pavel Molchanov launched one of the world's first radiosondes, a device attached to weather balloons to measure various atmospheric parameters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/radiosonde

1945:

World War II: Allied forces liberated over 500 prisoners of war from a Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_at_Cabanatuan

1959:

On the return leg of her maiden voyage, the "unsinkable" Danish ocean liner Hans Hedtoft struck an iceberg and sank with all hands lost. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Hans_Hedtoft

2000:

Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Côte d'Ivoire shortly after takeoff, killing 169 on board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_Airways_Flight_431

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

hungry ghost (n): (Buddhism, Chinese folk religion) A type of being condemned to desire more than it can consume http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hungry_ghost

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I have marched in many a battle host, but I have also planted seeds and reaped the harvest with my own hands. And I have learned there is greater honor in a field well plowed than in a field steeped in blood. --Lloyd Alexander http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lloyd_Alexander