Sphaeropezia

Sphaeropezia is a genus of fungi in the family Stictidaceae. These tiny fungi produce small, dark, cup-shaped fruiting bodies that begin buried in their substrate and later push through the surface, opening by a central, star-shaped pore. The genus includes species with diverse lifestyles: some decompose dead wood and plant material, whilst others live as parasites on mosses, lichens, or even other fungi. Most species are found in cool, high-latitude or high-elevation regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where their minute, easily overlooked fruiting bodies make them appear genuinely rare.