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Smooth glass (Crucibulum laeve), also called smooth crucibulum, belongs to the Champignon family and the genus Crucibulum. It was first described by the British botanist, member of the Royal Society, William Hudson in the 18th century.
Where does a smooth glass grow?
The cosmopolitan mushroom is found everywhere. Being a saprotroph, the smooth goblet is involved in the process of processing woody remains into nutritious humus. Grows on dead wood, stumps, fallen trunks and branches sunk into the soil. May take a liking to old, crumbling wooden structures - benches, beams, fences, logs, walls of barns and houses.Also found in gardens, parks, old clearings and fields. Lives both on conifers and deciduous trees - spruce, pine, cedar, birch, oak.
The period of active growth begins in July and lasts until October-November, and in the southern regions longer, until stable frosts. It grows in large colonies, often the fruiting bodies are closely pressed against each other, forming a continuous carpet. It does not occur alone. Fruiting bodies deprived of spore-containing peridiols tolerate winter well and survive until spring.
The original fruiting bodies look like miniature nests with eggs or a scattering of candies in a paper cup
What does a smooth glass look like?
The smooth glass has a very interesting appearance, differing at different stages of fruiting. The bodies that have just appeared look like small growths of a club-shaped, ovoid or barrel shape, covered with long white hair with individual reddish scales. On top there is a kind of rounded toroidal membrane - a “lid”, also felt-fluffy. It changes color from white-cream and beige to egg yellow, orange, ocher or brownish.
As it develops, the sides darken to a sandy, reddish, amber, honey or brownish brown color. The upper membrane breaks through, leaving the goblet-shaped fruiting body exposed. The inner surface of the mushroom is grayish-white, brown, yellowish-sandy, smooth. The pulp is rubbery, dense, light chestnut or reddish in color. It has a height from 0.3 to 1.1 cm, a diameter from 0.2 to 0.7 cm.
White, gray or slightly yellowish spore deposits have a lens-shaped or toroidal shape, ranging in size from 1 to 2 mm.They are covered with a durable wax shell, and in the lower part they have an adhesive thread that reliably sticks the flying “tablet” to the grass, bushes, animals and people. This is how the smooth glass “moves” to a new habitat. Typically, the number of spore storage units in one “glass” is from 10 to 15 pieces.
In the colony you can see fruiting bodies at various stages of development
Is it possible to eat a smooth glass?
There is no exact data on the chemical composition of the smooth glass in the public domain, therefore it is recognized as an inedible species. Whether it is toxic is unknown. Due to its tiny size and parchment-thin pulp, it is of no interest to mushroom pickers and has extremely low culinary value.
The smooth glass has a rather unusual appearance
Similar Doppelgängers
At the moment of its appearance, the smooth glass can be confused with representatives of its own species.
- Crucibulum dungum. Inedible. Usually lives on heaps of humus and manure. Rarely found on wood. It is distinguished by a darker color of the inner surface and ash-black, with a shiny tint, color of the peridioles
It is distinguished by a darker color of the inner surface and ash-black, with a shiny tint, color of the peridioles
- Crucibulum Olla. Inedible. It is distinguished by the silver-blue color of its spore carriers.
Inside the tiny glasses are mother-of-pearl “buttons”
Conclusion
The smooth goblet is a mushroom from the Bokalchikov genus and is a typical representative of this interesting species. Inedible.It grows everywhere on rotting wood, dead trees, forest floor and branches. Found in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, meadows and fields. The mycelium begins its development in July and grows until frost. Old fruiting bodies survive well until the next season. Grows in large, close-knit groups. The angle of inclination of the walls of the “glass” is ideally designed for active splashing of the contents.
