Microstoma protacta

This unusual brightly colored Ascomycete turned up in cottonwood riparian habitat during one of our spring morel hunts, and has never been seen again. Too small and rare to be considered food, it is unique for its unusual form and scarlet fertile surface.

Also reported from north Idaho by Drew Parker, this little guy raises eyebrows whenever it is found. Due to the increasing scarcity of undisturbed riparian zones in the state, it should be considered extremely rare in our area.