fayrnhawk.bsky.social
Plant pathologist with an interest in microfungi on plants, lichens, lichenicolous fungi and aquatic hyphomycetes.
97 posts
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One of the best reasons to work at Kew!
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Possibly a species of Octospora feeding on the moss.
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Possibly a species of Octospora.
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It was seen in North Devon in May 2019. In fact there are 83 records in the Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland. Most are post 2000, probably as a result of the Lost & Found Project.
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I've never seen a Hypotrachyna fruiting!
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I have often seen this species on painted metal but never in such a beautiful and atypical form. Great find. Thanks for sharing.
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I'd expect to see hyphae in these samples. Collema tenax often occurs without apothecia but some of the lobes here seem too big for that species.
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Sounds like we might be best recording to genus only. Making notes and retaining specimens might be useful. If we send records to the BLS database with genus only and whereabouts of specimens, future taxonomists may ask to see specimens!
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Three Muellerella species have been reported on Lecanora in the UK. As far as I know, no other lichenicolous genus on this host has perithecia with many spores.
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Does anyone else live in a monad with no lichen records? Check using the All Species Map at britishlichensociety.org.uk/maps
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Thanks for remembering that John's article is on the BLS website @larkinlichen.bsky.social Wait time can be an issue. For me, it signals time for a cup of tea!
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There was an article by John Skinner in the BLS Bulletin a few years back. He used an artists' product but I've never tried it. I think that product dissolved in water.
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It holds things well. Cuts well with a fine razorback. It doesn't impregnate or change the specimen. But the fragments of glue allow no light through giving black mess in the background. It does normally come away from the specimen when mounted in water. Worth a try.
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These species are very close morphological. I think if you don't have good evidence it's best to follow your previous suggestion and record to genus. I'll check, but I think I've found spores only in summer. Plan a revisit?
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Unfortunately, a lack of spores is very common in Phylloblastia in my experience.
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Yes, please @peterbraubach.bsky.social I really enjoyed @clareblencowe.bsky.social 's Misindentifying fungi blog.
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But you can also see the darker rose pink of spore masses that have dried out at some point in time.
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A really interesting photo of this species. If you search about, you can still the 'shocking pink' lipstick colour typical of newly formed spore masses as seen by @donnarainey4.bsky.social
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That's definitely a species of Phylloblastia. The best ID material for this genus is on the Fungi of Great Britain & Ireland website.
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Looks like the fungus is feeding on the lichen Physcia adscendens. One of it's favourite good sources.
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Definitely. Some people simply 'get their eye in'. I refound Burgoa moriformis last week. I made the 1st Welsh record last year. Found 300m down the same country road. It can't be rare; just rarely noticed and very rarely identified.
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In some areas this is a really common fungus. But other areas don't have any recorders so lack of records doesn't help us to judge its occurrence.
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I identified lots of lichens and fungi on a twig collected on the 2nd. Would those entries be cheating?
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If I'd seen this, I'd have lifted up a lobe/squamule and expected to see a white lower cortex! Did you do that test?
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Definitely a slime mould. Typical to find those twisted elatiors and spherical spores within the 'head'. Nice find.
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Candelaria concolor appears to have tiny flat lobes under a hand lens. The lobes are white beneath, showing that it's foliose. Candelariella xanthostigmoides appears granular with no lower cortex.
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Does this help? The leaves aren't evenly dying and turning black. This suggests a fungal (or, maybe, bacterial) infection within those black spots/areas.