tiny pink fungi ID needed!!

[Mike_Howles]

Walking in the forests near us (Brechfa in West Wales) I have been seeing this fungus virtually all year round, particularly when the ground is wet. It seems to disappear when the ground dries out and only exists on the pale green lichen type stuff it is growing on. It is tiny, each flowering body is about 1 - 2mm across but it is very pretty. I have a number of photos of it if anyone wants more.

I just want to know what it is!!

Thanks

Mike

[poschiavanus]

These may be Lichenomphalina umbifellera (=Omphalina ericetorum). This is one of the small number of lichenised basidiomycetes.

poschiavanus

[NickCantle]

How beautiful. I've seen really bright red parts atop the cups of Cladonia lichens, but I think that'll be to do with reproduction?

[Chris Yeates]

hi

it's a lichen but not a basidiolichen; this is Baeomyces roseus

see: http://www.hlasek.com/foto/baeomyces_roseus_8431.jpg

cheers

Chris

[poschiavanus]

Good stuff Chris.

I was having serious doubts about my original diagnosis having looked at photos of Lichenomphalina, and then realising that the scale of the fruiting bodies was about an order of magnitude too small! But I think basidiolichens are amazing enough to be worth a plug!

This one is also known as Diabaeis baeomyces, for instance in Dobson, and appears to be well distributed in N & W Britain.

posch

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by poschiavanus

Good stuff Chris.

This one is also known as Diabaeis baeomyces

yes - I see that is now the current name - must go alter my photo database!

cheers

Chris

[Chris Yeates]

here is an image of the closely related Baeomyces rufus (still in Baeomyces I see . . . does anyone know why B. roseus was moved to a new genus?)

Chris

[Mike_Howles]

Well, there we are. Now I know what it is.

Initially I thought it was a fungus growing ON a lichen but on examining some of my images more closely I see that it is actually the lichen that is 'flowering' and you have confirmed my observations.

It is very pretty and can easily be seen on the tracks in some parts of the forest. There is another one that we call the 'matchstick lichen' which has stunningly bright scarlet 'flowers' on the tips of the pale green stems:



Thanks. I'll be using this forum to identify more of the fungi that I just love to take photos of.

Mike

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by Mike_Howles

Well, there we are. Now I know what it is.

Initially I thought it was a fungus growing ON a lichen but on examining some of my images more closely I see that it is actually the lichen that is 'flowering' and you have confirmed my observations.

It is very pretty and can easily be seen on the tracks in some parts of the forest. There is another one that we call the 'matchstick lichen' which has stunningly bright scarlet 'flowers' on the tips of the pale green stems:



Thanks. I'll be using this forum to identify more of the fungi that I just love to take photos of.

Mike

Aha! That's what I was talking about here;

Originally Posted by NickCantle

How beautiful. I've seen really bright red parts atop the cups of Cladonia lichens, but I think that'll be to do with reproduction?

Nick

[Chris Yeates]

hi

there are several Cladonia species with red apothecia (spore-bearing bodies); I think this is Cladonia floerkeana

there is a (provisional) key to the genus at: http://194.203.77.76/fieldmycology/G...y.asp?KeyID=50

regards

Chris