I discovered this in my pot with my Protea. I would like to know what it is and more importantly will it cause any damage or harm to my plant.
They look like birds nest fungi: Can you confirm whether the cups which have opened, contain some little "eggs" (peridioles)?
I squeezed some of them and some "eggs" came out of them. Will they cause any damage or can I just leave it alone?
Safe to leave them, they use decaying dead plant matter, not live. And removing the spore-producing bodies wouldn't do any good anyway, as the mycelium will be throughout the pot.
Often the decaying bodies of fungi can also help enrich the soil? Between snails and fungi...the matter that both produce...have surprising benifits at times. You're plant should definately be safe!
Thanks for the help. I was a bit surprised to see it since I try to keep the pot on the dry side. I don't know much about fungi so I am a little concerned when I see a new type growing somewhere. I'll let it be and see I see any more come up around the yard in the future.