The impressive structures growing from this patch of moss are its fruiting bodies, which hold the spores.
David
Ageing earth stars
Earth stars are fungi with such an exotic shape they look like they might have been dropped from outer space.
They have a hole in the top of their fruiting bodies for their spores to escape, powered by raindrops landing on it.
These were growing in the front of a garden, possibly associated with the pine trees. Although I walk past the garden at least once a week on visits to the supermarket, the earth stars had been around for some time before I noticed them.











