A small cup-like mushroom bearing white hairs found at unexpected places

 I went to the usual woods to see the Myxomycetes and mushroom during a break in the rainy today too. (July 11th)　These are dead branches that hooked over the dead tree stood in the places where spring water is flowing. (Please see orange and gray arrows)

When I got closer to the branch shown by an orange arrow, I found several mushrooms of Microstoma floccosum, a species in the cup fungus family Sarcoscyphaceae.  In general, it is recognizable by its deep funnel-shaped, scarlet-colored fruit bodies bearing white hairs on the exterior.

Until now, I had only seen this mushroom growing upward on dead branches buried under dead leaves located on the litter surface in the forest (please see the last photo). So, I was surprised to see it growing on the naked dead branch hanging from a dead tree at such a high place over the ground.  I thought that dead branches at high place from ground would dry out easily, therefore it seems to be unfavorable condition for the growth of such mushroom. 

The color inside of these mushroom is not brilliant red as shown in the last photo. I think the time occurring the mushroom might be related this coloring.

The mushroom in the last photo resembles  Microstoma floccosum.  Actually, this cup fungus was originally described as Microstoma floccosum var. macrosporum . But it is recognized as an independent species and named M. macrosporum in 2001 by Japanese researchers.

It differs from M. floccosum in several aspects. The season when the mushroom appears. M. macrosporum is around March, M. floccosum is around July.

The size of ascospores.  M. macrosporum is about 2 times larger than M. floccosum.

The hair morphology around the aperture of the mushroom is different. In the case of M. macrosporum, thick mycelial bundles shaped like a triangle adhere to the aperture.

(This photo was taken in March)