What is this thing growing in my pepper plant? Mushrooms?

[tulsanurse1]

I went out onto the balcony this morning and saw these little stems with round caps things that resemble a "fan". I used mushroom compost in my mix. Should I remove them or are they helpful?

[applestar]

They're just helping to break down the material in the soil some more. Some people become concerned when this happens in their indoor plant containers -- spores getting in the air, allergies, etc -- but especially since yours is outside, I wouldn't worry about it. These little fungi are usually short lived. Might even be gone by the end of the day or tomorrow morning.