Asco on Solanum stem

[stickman]

Hi all,

I've spent the last few weeks identifying several small species growing on one of last year's aubergine stems, most of which I feel I have fairly confidently ID'd.

This one however has me a little confused:



Microsopic details go like this:

Spores average 8x2um, smooth
Asci tips blueing with Meltzers
Paraphyses filiform, sometimes branched.

Part of me feels I'm looking at a Mollisia or Pyrenopeziza, although I have zero experience with either!

Is there an easy way to seperate the two genera?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Nick.

[mollisia]

Hello,

to me too these look like either Mollisia or Pyrenopeziza. To separate the two genera, you need fresh (= living) undried material. If you then make a preparation in water, you can see differences in the content of the paraphyses (one refractive vacuole through the whole length in Mollisia, versus no refractive vacuole at all or only roundish guttules slightly refractive in Pyrenopeziza) and in the colour of the globose cells of the excipulum (brown in Mollisia, versus blackish-grey in Pyrenopeziza).

best regards,
Andreas

[stickman]

Thankyou Andreas,

That was just the answer I wanted!

Luckily I still have living material - following your advice I'm pretty sure this falls into Mollisia (I wish my microscope camera worked with windows 7!)

Since the original post I've found Andreas' Mollisia key on his website, and this one keys out relatively easily as M.revincta

Having said that am I right in saying this species is included under Pyrenopeziza in the FRDBI?

Cheers, Nick.

[Chris Yeates]

hi

see this - Mystery Mollisia and the following post re this

I posted a series of images of revincta here:
Hairy disco and Tricholoma-like for id

you might find it useful

Chris