Help to identify yellow disc fungus

[Bruce Williams]

Photo taken at Salcey Forest, Northants yesterday (8th March). Heads are typically between 1-2mm in diameter.

Help with identification appreciated.



Bruce

[Fungus Ken]

I can't take this very far, I'm afraid. I can say that it is not bright enough yellow to be Bisporella citrina.

You can also rule out a number of genera because the apothecia are not felty or hairy around the edge.

Orbilia is genus that has waxy-translucent apothecia, with some common species (eg Orbilia xanthostigma) that have shades of orange or yellow, although in my experience they tend to be less distinctly saucer-shaped and perhaps a bit more translucent.

Unfortunately there just isn't enough information for me.

Ken

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks for your analysis Ken. For future reference is there anything else photographically that I could have done to help with identification? If it helps the log is ~90% likely to be oak (based on part of wood I was walking in).

Bruce

[Fungus Ken]

Originally Posted by Bruce Williams

is there anything else photographically that I could have done to help with identification?

I think the photo was just fine.

Though many ascos are easy to identify with microscopic features - often easier than basidiomycetes because the characters are clear and the differences obvious - it's not so easy to identify them in the field.

And also I'm not very proficient at ascos. I don't get enough experience of them because I spend most of my time on mushrooms.

Ken