It’s probably the little girl in me that was completely enamored with fairies, that absolutely loves the idea of this common name: Fairy Cup. I mean, just pull on my little girl heartstrings why don’t you?? Ahhhhh!
Although this photo only shows a tinge of purple-ish color, I’m pretty sure this identification is correct. According to North American Mushrooms “pigmentation varies considerably depending on age and climate where the fruiting bodies are growing.”
Alternate Name: Magenta Coral Size: Up to 3cm tall and 1-1.5cm wide Family: Pezizaceae Habitat: Typically found on burned or charred soil, or on debris. Identification: "Fruiting bodies are initially almost spherical, then cup-shaped, then expanding to being somewhat flattened in age. They do not have a stem (or at most a short, narrowed version). The inner spore-bearing surface of the cup, the hymenium, is pale violet to reddish violet in color, often centrally depressed and slightly wrinkled. The flesh is thin (0.5–2.0 mm thick) and pale purple. The exterior surface is paler than the interior, somewhat grayish, and may be pruinose near the margins—having a very fine whitish powder on the surface. The odor and taste are not distinctive." From wikipedia.com
