tiny black pins on grass

[bregalad]

Hello, I'd be grateful for any pointers to help me identify the photographs. At the moment, I'm not sure about the kingdom, never mind genus or species. That is, is it a fungus or a slime mould? Then, following that, what might it be?

The 'pins' were about 0.25mm to 0.5mm high, just visible to the naked eye.

So I've attached a photograph under the microscope,
a scan of the grass stem, in case that's relevant,
and a scan of the very tip, where you should just be able to see the 'pins'.

Please offer any help you can.

[diggleken]

Hi, in the absence of any takers, it looks like a Myxomycete(slime mould) to me, but there are a lot!
A key might help, or try googling - but there are a few that are so similar on stalks.
http://slimemold.uark.edu/pdfs/MORPHOTAX.pdf
Cheers
Ken

[Chris Yeates]

hi

I don't think that's a slime mould . . . . I think that's what we would have called a 'hyphomycete' - essentially the asexual state of an asco

it looks very like a Periconia species (see: Micro fungi)

and by the way - your 'grass' is actually a sedge, and the tip is the tip of the male inflorescence

cheers

Chris

[diggleken]

Go with Chris, he's the man for these!
At least I resurrected the query....................
Cheers
Ken

[bregalad]

Thanks Ken, I appreciate your responding, and for the key. It got me into researching the myxomycetes, and no research is wasted. I was almost convinced it could be a Didymium or Lamproderma. but nothing quite matched ...

Chris, thanks very much for coming back with your expertise. So, Periconia it is. Now for the species. Hmmm, could be difficult.

I know, "sedges have edges ..."

thanks again