More.....World Beneath Our Feet!

  While pulling up the remnants of the broccoli plants, I discovered a whole tiny world of life in the darkness beneath the leaves.  Tiny bugs scampered away from the glaring sunlight while fungi and wee plants held their ground!  Of particular interest were the Bird's Nest Fungi or Cyathus Olla.  These fungi look a lot like tiny cups that hold some sort of weird eggs hence the name.  Actually to me, they resemble tart cups filled with some tiny wafers more than a birds' nest.  The sides of the "cups" or peridia (peridium if there is only one) were fluted much like my tart pan's cups.  Plus, instead of being rounded, the "eggs" or periodoles were flattened.  The entire size of the things were less than that of a pencil eraser.  Teeny tiny!  

  I made this discovery at the most opportune time.  The little eggs were still in the cups.  Had I been a day later, the cups would have been emptied of their contents.  We had a delightfully hard rain this evening and that is just what it takes to bounce the "seeds" from their holders. The rain drops cause the periodoles to bounce free from the cups and start the whole series of life all over again.

  The discovery of the tiny fungi started me thinking of how fun it would be go searching, once again, for the miniature world that we so often overlook during our daily activities.  The photographing of the "world beneath our feet" has always fascinated me.  I am on a mission!