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Abstract
The scarlet cup fungus, Sarcoscypha coccinea (Pezizales), has been suggested to be a complex of species. Spore ontogeny of S. coccinea, S. dudleyi, and S. occidentalis were studied ultrastructurally to test this idea. These smooth spored species display three different types of spore wall formation, suggesting that the S. coccinea complex should be separated into different species. Although ascosporogenesis is different at the species level, similarities of various phases of spore wall formation existing among species of Sarcoscypha, the Otideaceae, Pezizaceae, and Helvellaceae may show a phylogenetic relationship of the Sarcoscyphaceae to these families of Pezizales. However, stronger evidence will be needed to support this concept.