Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of flowering plant: A North American wildflower of the genus Mitella, specifically Mitella diphylla, characterized by having two opposite leaves on an erect stem that ends in a spike of small white flowers.
   • A type of fungus: A bright red, cup-shaped European fungus, specifically a species of the genus Sarcoscypha or similar, known for its vivid color and distinctive shape.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):

  • We found a patch of fairy cup growing in the moist, shaded woods.
  • The delicate white blossoms of the fairy cup are easy to miss among the forest floor.

• Noun (Fungus):

  • The brilliant red fairy cup stood out vividly against the dark, decaying log.
  • In European folklore, finding a fairy cup was sometimes considered a sign of good luck.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical contexts: The term is used specifically for Mitella diphylla and related species in the Saxifrage family.

  • The fairy cup, or bishop's cap, is valued for its delicate, fringed petals.

• In mycological contexts: Refers to cup fungi in the family Sarcoscyphaceae.

  • The fairy cup fungus is an ascomycete, meaning it produces its spores in sac-like cells.

Variants and Related Words

• Mitrewort / Miterwort: Another common name for the plant, referring to the seed capsule's resemblance to a bishop's mitre.
• Bishop's Cap: A synonym for the fairy cup plant.
• Scarlet Elf Cup: A common name for the fungus, which is a type of fairy cup.

Synonyms

• For the plant: Mitrewort, Bishop's Cap.
• For the fungus: Scarlet Elf Cup, Scarlet Cup Fungus.

Related Phrases / Terms

• Fairy ring: A related mycological term for a ring of mushrooms, often associated with folklore.
• Cup fungus: A broader category of fungi to which the fairy cup belongs.

Noun

1. miterwort of northeastern North America usually with two opposite leaves on erect flowering stems that terminate in erect racemes of white flowers
2. a scarlet European fungus with cup-shaped ascocarp