100px|Cyathus striatus
Cyathus is a genus of fungi in the Nidulariaceae, a family
collectively known as the bird's nest fungi. They are given this name
since they resemble tiny bird's nests filled with "eggs". The
"eggs",
or peridioles, are firmly attached to the inner surface of this
fruiting body by an elastic cord of mycelia known as a funiculus. The
45 species are widely distributed throughout the world and some are
found in most countries, although a few exist in only one or two
locales. Cyathus stercoreus is considered endangered in a number of
European countries. The internal and external surfaces of this cup may
be ridged longitudinally; this is one example of a taxonomic
characteristic that has traditionally served to distinguish between
species. Generally considered inedible, Cyathus species are saprobic,
since they obtain nutrients from decomposing organic matter. They
usually grow on decaying wood or woody debris, on cow and horse dung,
or directly on humus-rich soil. The life cycle of this genus allows it
to reproduce both sexually, with meiosis, and asexually via spores.
Phylogenetic analysis is providing new insights into the evolutionary
relationships between the various species in Cyathus. (more...)
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Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathus>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1649:
English Civil War: King Charles I , who was defeated in both the First
and the Second Civil Wars, was beheaded for high treason in front of
the Banqueting House in London.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England>
1930:
Soviet meteorologist Pavel Molchanov launched one of the world's first
radiosondes, a device attached to weather balloons to measure various
atmospheric parameters.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/radiosonde>
1945:
World War II: Allied forces liberated over 500 prisoners of war from a
Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_at_Cabanatuan>
1959:
On the return leg of her maiden voyage, the "unsinkable" Danish ocean
liner Hans Hedtoft struck an iceberg and sank with all hands lost.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Hans_Hedtoft>
2000:
Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Côte
d'Ivoire shortly after takeoff, killing 169 on board.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya_Airways_Flight_431>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
hungry ghost (n):
(Buddhism, Chinese folk religion) A type of being condemned to desire
more than it can consume
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hungry_ghost>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have marched in many a battle host, but I have also planted seeds and
reaped the harvest with my own hands. And I have learned there is
greater honor in a field well plowed than in a field steeped in blood.
--Lloyd Alexander
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lloyd_Alexander>