Sac Fungi & Allies

The Pezizaceae (commonly referred to as cup fungi) are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota which produce mushrooms that tends to grow in the shape of a "cup". Spores are formed on the inner surface of the fruit body (mushroom). The cup shape typically serves to focus raindrops into splashing spores out of the cup.

The term “Earth Tongue” refers to the tongue-shaped mushrooms in a few select genera: Geoglossum (literally “earth-tongue”), Trichoglossum, and Microglossum. These fungi all have tongue-shaped heads on a sterile stipe. The heads usually have a groove running down the center and two similarly-shaped lobes on either side.

False morels are members of the Pezizales, within that group represent several unrelated taxa scattered through the families Morchellaceae, Discinaceae, and Helvellaceae, most often Gyromitra. Verpa species by contrast are in the Morchellaceae and are true morels.