Brown Goblet
Arrhenia epichysium
The Brown Goblet (Arrhenia epichysium) is a small, delicate fungus characterized by its distinctive goblet or cup-shaped fruiting bodies with brownish coloration. This saprophytic species plays a crucial ecological role in decomposing organic matter, particularly in association with mosses and decaying plant material in specialized microhabitats.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrhenia_epichysium
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Agaricales
Family
Hygrophoraceae
Genus
Arrhenia
Brown Goblet belongs to the family Hygrophoraceae, order Agaricales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
The Brown Goblet (Arrhenia epichysium) is a small, delicate fungus characterized by its distinctive goblet or cup-shaped fruiting bodies with brownish coloration. This saprophytic species plays a crucial ecological role in decomposing organic matter, particularly in association with mosses and decaying plant material in specialized microhabitats.
The Brown Goblet (Arrhenia epichysium) is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized moss-rich environments. Climate change and atmospheric pollution are altering the delicate moisture and chemical conditions required for both the fungus and its moss substrates to survive.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Brown Goblet fungi inhabit moss-covered soil, rotting logs, and decaying organic matter in damp, shaded environments such as old-growth forests and undisturbed woodland edges. They are particularly associated with bryophyte communities in areas with consistent moisture and minimal soil disturbance.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
The Brown Goblet (Arrhenia epichysium) is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized moss-rich environments. Climate change and atmospheric pollution are altering the delicate moisture and chemical conditions required for both the fungus and its moss substrates to survive.
Air pollution and acid deposition
Degradation of moss communities
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Climate change affecting moisture regimes
Land use intensification
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Brown Goblet (Arrhenia epichysium). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/brown-goblet