Pixie Cup Lichen on Wood Mulch

Pixie cup lichen (Cladonia) sits on damp wood mulch at ground level. The cups have pale gray rims and dark, sooty interiors; the foreground cup is sharply focused while the rest of the scene blurs into warm mulch tones and soft yellow light. One cup is dusted with fine soil, and the group resembles tiny upturned bowls in the mulch.