Identification: Weird fungi or mushroom in my house

I hope someone can help me with this. We have a mushroom or fungus growing in our basement. It has what I can only describe as "tubes" which look like the vent tubes seen in the oceans, but instead of red, it is fleshy colored. We appear to have a lot growing there. If this helps, I might add that we had a leak downstairs that we have just found. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Greetings!

Are you able to post a photo here?

Also, can you expand on the description, eg is it hard, rubbery, watery. Is the surface smooth or are there any structures on it. How long are the tubes, are they growing in a clump or seperately, and so forth.

cheers,
frog

 

The tubes themselves are hard, but the smaller parts/growths are soft and rubbery. The surface seems to be smooth and the tubes themselves are growing directly from a clumps. There seems to be multiple growths of clumps with the tubes growing out of them. Some of the tubes sort of goes vertically while others sort of curls. I seem to be having some difficulties in posting a couple pictures of it here, I will keep trying.
Thank you for time in helping me.

Keith

 

Thanks for the details: Yes I'm hoping you can post a photo :-)

Here's the link to the how-to on posting images:
http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=60953

-frog

 

I hope this works.

 

Thanks for the photos,

Keeping in mind it is hard to ID by just seeing the topside of mushrooms in a photo: These do look like Peziza domiciliana or similar, and given the habitat that makes sense. So I expect the harder tubes are the starts of the softer rubbery "lobes" of the mature fruiting body. The whitish bits might be a mold growing on the mushroom.

While I've not eaten this species - and am not inclined to try <grin> - it's not known to be poisonous or a house eater. But yes it does signify a damp problem, and I suppose it is possible that if someone was sensitive to an increase in the amount of spores in the air (given that the air is full of spores anyways), it might add an irritation.

I think it is very cute, but then I might be less enthused if it was growing in my house in a spot I had not authorized.

I hope that is helpful,
cheers,
frog

 

Thank you very much for your input on this issue! I'm pretty sure you had the right of it. Once you told me what you thought it was, I went on the internet and saw some pictures that were very similar. Again, thank you very much.

keith