Yesterday, day 3 after the first sighting, I could not stop thinking about my tented mushroom. Driving in to Cambridge in the late afternoon, its essential quality suddenly grabbed me - the word to describe my tented mushroom - chalice! It looks like a chalice, I yelled out loud to myself in the car. 

At home last night I began searching online for a chalice or goblet shaped mushroom and no luck. But this morning, after visiting my mushroom and taking this photo, I think I've identified it. Clitocybe Gibba (common funnel cap), typically is found growing under hardwoods - "and is sometimes reported under conifers," which is where I found mine. There is no mention of "chalice" in this description, but that's how I will continue to imagine it, because chalice evokes the deep spiritual feelings this mysterious beauty is tapping in me. 

All photos and words copyright Kelly DuMar, 2016, unless otherwise attributed