Wynnea americana is a cup-fungus of the phylum Ascomycota and class Pezizomycetes.

Wynnea americana grows in deciduous forests on moist soil.  With practices like clear-cutting becoming more common, the environment that is optimal for these fungi to grow in is decreasing, which could threaten their populations in the future.

Within the United States, Wynnea americana is typically found in New York, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina.

Based on the recorded countries Wynnea americana has been found in, along with the fact that these fungi typically grow in deciduous forests, we assume that these fungi are restricted to growing only in areas with decidiuous forest in the previousley named countries.  We also assume that per every square kilometer there will be about 10 Wynnea americana, as there is a lot of available habitat, but only a little over a hundred actual recorded collections of Wynnea americana.  The total area of decidious forests in the world is about 800,000,000 hectares, and we assume that Wynnea americana grows in about 1/4 of this area, leaving us with 2,000,000 km^2 of deciduous forest habitat for the fungi to grow in.  This, combined with our estimate of 10 Wynnea americana per square kilometer

Beug and Bessettes describe this species as being found “solitary or scattered on soil under hardwoods; […] summer and fall.” Pfister identifies the species as “occurring on soil in deciduous forests.”

More information is needed on the habitat and interactions of this species to determine the threats it faces. Invasive insects and plant pathogens threaten the health of the deciduous forests in which Wynnea americana is found, and potential impacts on the trees around which the species is found may have a deleterious effect on the fungal population.

No conservation efforts are in place for this species. Protection of the deciduous forests in which this species is found is necessary. More research is needed to determine the status of this species and potential conservation actions.

More research is needed on the microhabitat and associations of this species. It is unknown if this species associates with buried wood or with tree roots, or if it is associated with a particular tree species. Additionally, more research is needed on the interactions of this species by animals.

The trade and use of this species are not recorded.