Smoky spindles?

[lauriek]

Phillips suggests this is Smoky spindles, is there anything else out there I could be confusing it with? (As Phillips, no matter how good, is hardly quite so 'comprehensive' as it says on the cover!)



TIA!

[Leif]

Clavulinopsis umbrinella is a possibility. For these things you really need to take spore prints, and look at the spores under the microscope.

[Fungus Ken]

I'd always agree with the rider about needing to do the microscopy to be certain of the identification. Perhaps I should have this as my signature?

In particular, to separate Clavulina, Clavaria and Clavulinopsis you need to look at the sterigmata on the basidia (2 inwardly curved sterigmata in Clavulina) and whether the septa have clamps (no clamps in Clavaria).

But there are clues you can use in the field. In Ellis and Ellis "Fungi without Gills", it says for Clavaria:

"Mostly unbranched and only in C. zollingeri regularly branched."

For Clavulinopsis the key splits right at the start on the basis of whether the fruitbodies are unbranched or regularly branched. Clavulinopsis umbrinella is in the part of the key with fruitbodies regularly branched.

So that's a good clue that the species in the photo is not Clavulinopsis umbrinella. Having seen this species on Wednesday I can confirm that this looks very different from the species photographed above.

I think it is probably Clavaria fumosa but according to Ellis and Ellis there are other species it could be confused with.

Ken

[lauriek]

"In particular, to separate Clavulina, Clavaria and Clavulinopsis you need to look at the sterigmata on the basidia (2 inwardly curved sterigmata in Clavulina) and whether the septa have clamps (no clamps in Clavaria)."

Whoa that's all latin to me!!

Thanks for the tips guys, I will refer back to my books...

I recently got myself a second hand microscope, just need to get some slides and slips etc. Any advice on the best way to collect spores for examination? x

[Fungus Ken]

In theory for these club fungi you can just place your specimen on the microscope slide and leave it for a couple of hours and you should have enough spores. In practice, if you are in a rush you can scrape a very thin sliver from the surface with a scalpel or razor blade and squash that under a cover slip with some liquid (water will do). You might need to add a bit of stain to highlight the features, but this way, if it is mature, you should get some spores and you also get to check out the other microscopic characters, such as the basidia and the pegs on which the spores grow ie the sterigmata. Bear in mind thought that a squash prepared this way will also include immature spores dislodged from the basidia so you need to be careful, if you are measuring, only to check out what seem to be mature spores.

With a mushroom you would take the cap and place that on the slide and leave for a while, ideally long enough to get a deep enough spore print to be sure of the colour, but then you have too many spores for a viewing under the microscope so you are better off scraping a small sample onto another slide for veiwing.

Again, if time is short you can squash a small piece of gill but the same caveat applies that you need look for mature spores.

Ken

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Fungus Ken

I'd always agree with the rider about needing to do the microscopy to be certain of the identification. Perhaps I should have this as my signature?

In particular, to separate Clavulina, Clavaria and Clavulinopsis you need to look at the sterigmata on the basidia (2 inwardly curved sterigmata in Clavulina) and whether the septa have clamps (no clamps in Clavaria).

But there are clues you can use in the field. In Ellis and Ellis "Fungi without Gills", it says for Clavaria:

"Mostly unbranched and only in C. zollingeri regularly branched."

For Clavulinopsis the key splits right at the start on the basis of whether the fruitbodies are unbranched or regularly branched. Clavulinopsis umbrinella is in the part of the key with fruitbodies regularly branched.

So that's a good clue that the species in the photo is not Clavulinopsis umbrinella. Having seen this species on Wednesday I can confirm that this looks very different from the species photographed above.

I think it is probably Clavaria fumosa but according to Ellis and Ellis there are other species it could be confused with.

Ken

Yes you are right that it is more Clavaria-like given that it appears to be spindles rather than branches, as per other genera.

[lauriek]

Many thanks for that guys!

Ken where would you suggest is a good place to source some slides & cover slips quickly? (and not too expensively!!)

[Fungus Ken]

I have tended to get microscope slides and coverslips from Brunel Microscopes. You can buy online. I haven't hunted around for other options because they seemed OK to me.

Ken