Minnesota Seasons - Devil’s Urn

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Luciearl

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed


	Description
	Devil’s Urn is one of the first mushrooms to appear in forests and woodlands in the east. It occurs in the United States east of the Great Plains, and also in Washington State. It is common in Minnesota but often overlooked due to its dark color and its somewhat leaf-like appearance. In addition, it is often buried or half-buried in the duff. It appears in the spring usually in groups, sometimes singly. It obtains its nutrients from rotting wood (saprobic), growing on or next to decaying logs, on twigs, or on the ground attached to buried wood. The mature mushroom is 1¼″ to 4¼″ high and ¾″ to 2¾″ in diameter. The fruiting body is a closed orb at first, looking a lot like Dead Man’s Fingers. It soon opens at the top becoming deeply cup-shaped. The margins are curved inward, toothed, and appear torn. The sterile outer surface is rough and pinkish-gray or dark brown at first, becoming smooth and black to brownish-black with age. The fertile inner surface is smooth and brownish-black to black. The stalk is ¾″ to 1½″ long, 3 ⁄16″ to ⅜″ thick. The flesh is tough and leathery or fibrous. It is probably not poisonous but is too tough to be worth eating.

	Similar Species
	Black Trumpet (Craterellus fallax) caps are trumpet-shaped, with the margins spread outwards. It appears in the summer. Dead Man’s Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) appears in the summer, not in the spring.


	Habitat and Hosts
	Shaded deciduous woodlands. Decaying deciduous wood.


	Ecology
	Season
	March to May


	Distribution
			Sources: 4, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.
	5/15/2022

	Occurrence
	Common


	Taxonomy
	Kingdom	Fungi (fungi)
	Subkingdom	Dikarya
	Phylum	Ascomycota (sac fungi)
	Subphylum	Pezizomycotina
	Class	Pezizomycetes
	Subclass	Pezizomycetidae
	Order	Pezizales
	Family	Sarcosomataceae
	Genus	Urnula

	Synonyms
	Cenangium craterium Dermea craterium Dermatea craterium Geopyxis craterium Peziza craterium Sarcoscypha craterium Scypharia craterium

	Common Names
	Black Tulip Fungus Crater Cup Devil’s Urn

Glossary

Saprobic

A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.


	Visitor Photos

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	Molly




	Luciearl

	These were found in April when there was still snow on the ground.


	Second year of finding Devil's Urn on my trail, although entirely different area than last year's.


	In the shape of a perfect chalice. About 1 1/2 in. diameter.




	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

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	Slideshows


	Urnula craterium ivmerlu

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	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	Hissing Urnula craterium The Foraging Beard

	About Published on Apr 11, 2017 I love stimulating cup fungi and watching the spore release. Next time you find one blow into it and wait a couple seconds. The air movement stimulates the mushroom to release the spores. It's almost like it's thinking! When I blew on these Devil's urns (Urnula craterium) they released their spores with an audible hiss! Turn up your volume. This blew me away (no pun intended).



	Devil's Urn (Urnula craterium) Sporing in Shawnee State Forest Andrew Gibson

	About Published on May 2, 2011 While on a hike in Shawnee State Forest in Scioto County, Ohio, our group came across a colony of Devil's Urn or Witch's Cauldron fungi actively sporing. You can ascertain how it got it's name Witch's Cauldron from the white dust cloud of spores being released from the cauldron-like cup fungus like whisps of smoke. I apologize for the mediocre quality but it was shot using my iPhone.



	Urnula craterium releases spores! Robert Klips

	About Published on May 7, 2019 Whoa...if you look carefully you can see the ascospores being expelled from this Urnula craterium, seen May 7, 2019 in southern Ohio. Spore release seemed to be stimulated by the direct sunlight. We were all amazed!



	Mushroom Hunting - Morels & Devils Urn thethangswedo1

	About Published on Apr 16, 2013 The other day I had some spare time to hunt morel mushrooms and I ended up finding devils urn instead. The morel mushroom season is here but it is still too early to be picking them because they are so small right now. I didnt find any on this day, but keep checking back because I'll be sure to let you know when I find some. aaaahh..got to love wild mushroom hunting.

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Visitor Sightings

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Molly 5/22/2022	Location: north of Tulaby Lake, Mahnomen County Minnesota



Luciearl April 2022	Location: Fairview Township, Cass County These were found in April when there was still snow on the ground.



Luciearl 4/30/2020	Location: Cass County Second year of finding Devil's Urn on my trail, although entirely different area than last year's.



Luciearl 5/12/2019	Location: Cass County In the shape of a perfect chalice. About 1 1/2 in. diameter.



MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings