Devil’s Urn
(Urnula craterium)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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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 |
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Sources |
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| 5/6/2025 | ||
Occurrence |
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Common |
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Taxonomy |
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Kingdom |
Fungi (fungi) |
Subkingdom |
Dikarya |
Phylum |
Ascomycota (sac fungi) |
Subphylum |
Pezizomycotina (sac fungi amd lichens) |
Class |
Pezizomycetes |
Subclass |
Pezizomycetidae |
Order |
Pezizales |
Family |
Sarcosomataceae |
Genus |
Urnula |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Cenangium craterium Dermea craterium Dermatea craterium Geopyxis craterium Peziza craterium Sarcoscypha craterium Scypharia craterium |
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Common Names |
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Black Tulip Fungus Crater Cup Devil’s Urn |
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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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Luciearl |
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These were found in April when there was still snow on the ground. |
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Second year of finding Devil’s Urn on my trail, although entirely different area than last year's. |
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In the shape of a perfect chalice. About 1 1/2 in. diameter. |
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Molly |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
Urnula craterium |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Hissing Urnula craterium |
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 |
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! |
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 |
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. |
Visitor Sightings |
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Luciearl |
Location: Fairview Twp. |
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| Molly 5/22/2022 |
Location: north of Tulaby Lake, Mahnomen County Minnesota |
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| Luciearl April 2022 |
Location: Fairview Township, Cass County These were found in April when there was still snow on the ground. |
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| 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. |
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| Luciearl 5/12/2019 |
Location: Cass County In the shape of a perfect chalice. About 1 1/2 in. diameter. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 5/14/2019 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |