What Are The Tiny Black Disco's?

[Lancashire Lad]

Some of today's finds which I think I've got ID'd, but what are the little black circular fruitbodies on the Lycogala terrestre photo? (Good grouping at top right of photo).

... ...
Lycogala terrestre.............Lycogala epidendrum.........Phallus impudicus

... ...
Kuehneola uredinis...........Chlorociboria aeruginascens..Lachnum virgineum

Regards
Mike.

[CapAndBracket]

A mollisia.sp.

Cheers J.P.

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

Some of today's finds which I think I've got ID'd, but what are the little black circular fruitbodies
Lachnum virgineum

Regards
Mike.

hi Mike

yep Mollisia sp. . . . are you absolutely sure about the Lachnum? its not that usual on leaves; is that an old sycamore leaf? there is a Lachnum rhytismatis (W. Phillips) Nannf. which occurs on old sycamore leaves (sometimes but not exclusively associated with Rhytisma acerinum); it looks rather like your fungus (ID microscope job, unfortunately)

cheers

Chris

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

....are you absolutely sure about the Lachnum? its not that usual on leaves; is that an old sycamore leaf?......

Hi Chris,
It was identified, (by persons much more knowledgeable than me ), when I attended my first ever organised fungi foray today. I understand that it is more usually found on fallen beech mast etc. but does occasionally occur on leaves. (This leaf is actually oak).

I appreciate that the photo isn't the best in the world - it was taken with my FujiS9600 bridge camera which doesn't have a proper macro lens.

I did collect some very similar looking specimens (growing on Larch & Scots Pine cones), which I brought home - I'm intending photographing these with my proper macro lens tomorrow - I'll upload them for further opinion once I've taken the pics.

Regards
Mike.

[Chris Yeates]

no imputations at all against you Mike, but if those 'persons much more knowledgeable than [you]' identified it in the field my comments still apply

did you take it home? if you did I'm happy to have a look at it and if I am wrong will hold my hands up

cheers

Chris

PS - hopefully rust article has arrived OK?

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

...did you take it home? if you did I'm happy to have a look at it and if I am wrong will hold my hands up

Hi Chris, - The finds were all "identified" in the field, so I do appreciate what you are saying about microscopy requirements.

I didn't bring that particular one home, but did bring these - which were (thought to be) the same species. - Not sure if these images might give slightly more info. (Best viewed at largest size, as these are at the magnification limit of what my macro lens will do).

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

...PS - hopefully rust article has arrived OK?

Yes it did - and is much appreciated. (I've replied by separate e-mail).

Regards
Mike.

[AlanS]

I am getting all too rusty on my small disco's and possibly shouldn't step in here.

However, I do think Mike's Lachnum virgineum is most likely correctly named. Note that the stem and excipulum are densely clothed in shaggy hairs, whereas in related Lachnum species, including L. rhytismatis (in my experience and in Dennis's old 'Dasyscypha' monograph), the hairs are much more confined to the apothecial margins.

For critical recording or labelling a photograph I would most certainly check material with a microscope, which only takes a few seconds, but I have found field identifications of L. virgineum are fairly reliable.

It is common on all kinds of vegetable debris, including fallen tree leaves, as well as herbaceous stems, small bits of well-rotted wood, masts and cones, old ferns and grass debris (and important to bear in mind while thinking of the more specialist species on these latter substrates).

Interestingly, tiny, white, shaggily hairy things that look like L. virgineum (though admittedly as a sessile state) just sometimes, under the microscope, turn out to have basidia and basidiospores. And then one is on a completely different playing field ...

Alan

Note added after preview, I see the forum has automatically turned "Lachnum virgineum" in my post into a link. This is not my doing and I don't see a way of turning this discourteous auto-editing off.

[NickCantle]

Oh dear Alan, you do have a short fuse don't you?! It's a resource that has taken people time to build up to make referencing much easier. It only adds to a post, not subtracts.

(Unless you're a purist like me and hate blue text )

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by AlanS

. . .

Interestingly, tiny, white, shaggily hairy things that look like L. virgineum (though admittedly as a sessile state) just sometimes, under the microscope, turn out to have basidia and basidiospores. And then one is on a completely different playing field ...

Alan

yes I have stood in a group of experienced mycologists arguing that I didn't think a hairy white 'disco' on nettle was an ascomycete

but was I able to avoid being triumphalist once proved correct back in the lab? - what do you think?

back on topic I would be surprised if the fungi on the cones were not L. virgineum; I maintain my doubts about the sycamore one though . . .

cheers

Chris

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

(Unless you're a purist like me and hate blue text )
__________________________________________________ _______

Nick Cantle Wildlife Photography

LOL

C