Scarlet Elfcups (Sarcoscypha coccinea)

Scarlet, or the almost identical Ruby Elfcup

Scarlet elf cups and ruby elfcups are almost identical, and any differences would only be seen in microscopy. Plus, both are non-toxic and edible!                                                                                 Elf cups are found amongst decaying twigs and sticks on the forest floor from December-April. They display shades of bright red (sometimes slightly orange) on the inside of the fungi, and a lighter colour surrounding the outside of the mushroom cup; they also have a short stem that aids in their attachment to the leaf/twig littler. Their distribution includes much of Britain and Ireland and some other areas of mainland Europe, and North America.

They are said to have a mild-earthy flavour, and some say that there are similarities in taste to beetroot. The texture has been described as very different to your usual mushrooms but is great in stir-fries or stews.
Scarlet elfcups produce white spores, and if you have access to some you can actually see this for yourself. If you blow on the elfcup, it will actually produce a puff of spores into the air that you can both see and hear (this is reported to be most successful around March-April). This will actually encourage more to grow with the dispersal of spores producing more fungi! This fungus is a great source of food for rodents and slugs, and a great decomposer of wood that enables the release of recycled nutrients.

This species gets its wonderful name from European folklore, it is said that fairies and elves use them as goblets and drink morning dew from the cups.