Unknown fungi

flaxton · #1 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 08:00 PM

Hi
Can anyone put me out of my misery.
Found this growing in mixed woodland.

Young Xylaria of some sort giving off lots of spores.
Wrong

not an asco at all but a basidio. The spores are grey 6-9um x 4.5 teardrop shaped, smooth. I will post a photo when I get my camera software running again

Mal

fairplay · #2 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 08:14 PM

Hi Mal,
Why not decaying Macrotyphula fistulosa ? Although the spores are on the short side.

Neil.

Lancashire Lad · #3 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 08:14 PM

Hi Mal,

How tall were they?

Could they be (albeit rather strangely coloured

), Macrotyphula fistulosa? (I think that one is a basidio).

Regards,
Mike.

flaxton · #4 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 08:17 PM

The largest was 5cm.

Mal

fairplay · #5 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 08:28 PM

That size is small for M.fistulosa, but if they have become mummified, perhaps that would account for shrinkage and perhaps they may be now infected with some type of Trichoderma sp.

Neil.

flaxton · #6 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 09:43 PM

Camera now working

Any help?

Mal

fairplay · #7 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 10:17 PM

The shape of the spores look right for M.fistulosa, a scale with the photo would have helped more, but growing on wood, and being a basidiomycete, nothing else comes to mind.

Neil.

Lancashire Lad · #8 (**permalink**) 29-05-2011, 10:20 PM

Hi Mal,

For what it's worth, this is about as much as I can input: -

These spores, (assuming all in region of 6-9 x 4.5), would seem to better match (size wise) with Macrotyphula juncea - spores stated as 7-10 x 3.5-4, almond (amygdaliform) shaped.

Although I don't have anything which mentions M.juncea spores as having guttules.

Size and substrate for M.juncea would also appear to be in the right order, with M.juncea stated as 30-70mm tall 0.5-1.5mm width. Substrates stated as decomposing stems of herbs, leaves, & twigs.

M.fistulosa spores are teardrop shaped, with granular content - so would seem to match your photo, but should be almost twice the size of yours

) - Unless of course, as Neil suggested, these fruitbodies may have been infected & stunted.

Regards,
Mike.

diggleken · #9 (**permalink**) 30-05-2011, 08:36 AM

Hi Mal,
a slight hijack - these similar do you think?
There were a few that were much longer, like yours, they were ID'd as young candlesnuff - I originally thought they were M. fistulosa.

Cheers
Ken

fairplay · #10 (**permalink**) 30-05-2011, 09:43 AM

Problem is the spores Ken.

Mal says his material is a basidiomycete, so presumably has seen basidia (if you can put a photo up of this as well Mal, it would help).

To me the only thing stopping this from being microscopically a match for M.fistulosa is the small spores, but it may be possible that Mal measured spores which were not absolutely flat - otherwise the 'teardrop' shape is perfect.

(I've a sneaky feeling somebody who knows what this is for sure is just biding his/her time, letting people make complete fools of themselves, and then coming in with the answer)

Neil.