Extract from Wikipedia article: Urnula craterium is a species of cup fungus in the family Sarcosomataceae. It is parasitic on oak and various other hardwood species; it is also saprobic, as the fruit bodies develop on dead wood after it has fallen to the ground. Appearing in early spring, its distinctive goblet-shaped and dark-colored fruit bodies have earned it the common names devil's urn and the gray urn. The distribution of U. craterium includes eastern North America, Europe, and Asia. It produces bioactive compounds that can inhibit the growth of other fungi. The asexual (imperfect), or conidial stage of U. craterium is a plant pathogen known as Conoplea globosa, which causes a canker disease of oak and several other hardwood tree species.
The Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen branch on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest, near Huntsville. Texas, March 10, 2018 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Close up of the Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest, near Huntsville. Texas, March 10, 2018 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
The Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen tree limb on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest, near Huntsville. Texas, March 10, 2018 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Upper view of the Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest, near Huntsville. Texas, March 10, 2018 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Upper view of the Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on wood on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest, near Huntsville. Texas, March 10, 2018 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
The Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, March 24, 2018
The Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen tree branch on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, March 24, 2018 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Young Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) in area of Winters Bayou in Sam Houston National Forest, east from Waverly. Texas, February 23, 2019 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Cleveland, TX 77328, USA
Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) growing from wood submerged in soil in area of Winters Bayou in Sam Houston National Forest, east from Waverly. Texas, February 23, 2019 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Cleveland, TX 77328, USA
The Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen twig on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville. Texas, March 16, 2019 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Drying Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen twig on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville. Texas, March 16, 2019 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, March 7, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen branch in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, March 7, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Dissected Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, March 7, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) in cross section in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, March 7, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen twig in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, March 7, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Upper view of Devil's Urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen twig in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, March 7, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Upper view of devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 11, 2020 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 11, 2020 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Side view of devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 11, 2020 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on a fallen oak branch on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 7, 2021 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Cross section of devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) in wet area on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 7, 2021 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) with a cross section on a fallen oak branch on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, March 7, 2021 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Sand Branch Loop Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Montgomery. Texas, March 28, 2021 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Mature devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Sand Branch Loop Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Montgomery. Texas, March 28, 2021 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Mature Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 16, 2022 Little Lake Creek Loop Trail, Montgomery County, Texas, 77873, United States
Spores of Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) collected in Sam Houston National Forest near Montgomery. Texas, April 16, 2022
Asci and spores of Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) collected in Sam Houston National Forest near Montgomery. Texas, April 16, 2022
Spores of Devil's urn mushrooms (Urnula craterium) collected in Sam Houston National Forest a day before. Texas, April 17, 2022 Spore size 19.7 - 31.2 × 9.5 - 10.3 µm, length to width ratio Q = 2 - 3.1.