Elfcups, Pinwheels and Mycenas

The last couple of years I've started making an effort to identify fungi.  When I was in university I met a professor, Greg Michalenko, who is considered a local expert in the mushroom world (I've heard Grand River Hospital contacts him when little Jimmy ate something he shouldn't have).  A few years back I paid Greg a visit to deliver the largest morel I had picked that spring.   Anyways, between Greg's love of fungi and their photogenic qualities, I've been trying a little harder to understand the toadstools and alien-like blobs emanating from fallen logs. 

This first shot is Orange Mycena (Mycena leaiana) growing from rotting wood at the Waterloo Region Nature-owned Montgomery Property.  Here's a short blurb on Mycena fungi including a key.

These Elfcup fungi belong to the Genus Sarcoscypha.  As far as I can tell the (only) way to distinguish S. austriaca from S. dudleyi is to have a look at spore shape through a microscope.  Geez, this stuff isn't easy!  More on Elfcups here.

This last shot is Pinwheel Mushroom (Marasmius rotula).  It grows on woody debris as opposed to the very similar M. capillaris which grows on leaf litter.  These two species are white-capped but other species with pink, orange and brown caps also exist.