What the hell is this growing on my trident??

[justBonsai]

I check up on my trees on a weekly basis or so. In the duration of 1 week all these "pods" have showed up at the base of my trident maple I have growing in the ground. At first I thought they were insect sacs but there was a lot of mycorrhizae at the base which led me to think it was fungal. After opening up the pods I found all of them to be filled with multiple black round "seeds". As far as I know fungi reproduce with spores--are the black seeds carriers with the spores?

Can anyone ID what this is? I don't know if its a plant, fungus, or from insects?? Would it be harmful for my tree?

Its the brown fuzzy stuff near the base:

 

[AlainK]

These are probably some kind of "bird's nest fungi".

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathus

They grow on organic matter (animals droppings) or dead wood. I don't think they're harmful to the tree itself, but if you want to keep some dead wood, they'll eat it up, that's their job

 

[justBonsai]

These are probably some kind of "bird's nest fungi".

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathus

They grow on organic matter (animals droppings) or dead wood. I don't think they're harmful to the tree itself, but if you want to keep some dead wood, they'll eat it up, that's their job

Thanks! Looks like the right ID. Recently we had a huge heat wave that took off a lot a leaves from my trident. The spores probably propagated off the layer of dead leaves.

 

[RKatzin]

I had the same thing spread across the top of the soil in my San Jose Juniper. Figured it to be some kind of fungus, I raked it out and it's gone now.

 

[Stickroot]

These are probably some kind of "bird's nest fungi".

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathus

They grow on organic matter (animals droppings) or dead wood. I don't think they're harmful to the tree itself, but if you want to keep some dead wood, they'll eat it up, that's their job

Yep. It has been bad this season. I have been through a lot of Daconil because of it, but it stops those nasty little things.

 

[Vin]

It looks like the same fungi stuff we get down here. If you spray water on it the spores release and it looks like it's smoking. Don't breathe the spores in. I have no idea if breathing them in is a health issue but it seems as though it would be.

 

[M. Frary]

It looks like the same fungi stuff we get down here. If you spray water on it the spores release and it looks like it's smoking. Don't breathe the spores in. I have no idea if breathing them in is a health issue but it seems as though it would be.

That means it can be snorted. Fungus buzz!

 

[AlainK]

It looks like the same fungi stuff we get down here. If you spray water on it the spores release and it looks like it's smoking.

I think what you're referring to is a totally different species, what you call "Puffball":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffball

Younger specimen are edible, though not very interesting...

 

[Vin]

I think what you're referring to is a totally different species, what you call "Puffball":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffball

Younger specimen are edible, though not very interesting...

Nope, but I have seen the Puffball as well. Next time I get them I'll snap a photo of the "smoking" spores.