Asci almost invisible in water; in Melzer with an apical apparatus I+ very strong, dark blue, cork-shaped, clearly longer (4,5-5,5 µm) than wide.

Spores 20-25x6,5-7(10) µm, brown, elongated, with a more convex side and the other almost flattened, papillate at the ends, with a long germ slit rather straight running from a pole to the other along the flat side. Biguttulate in Melzer, uni-or biguttulate in water.

In mature spores no gel sheath is visible. Around very fresh spores, in water, can be present a sheath of gel around the ends and in the immature ones seems to be visible even around the whole spore.

Trying to observe the gel sheath I mounted some asci in Cresyl blue; it seems to be visible around the immature spores, but I still have doubts because the young spores + the intended "gel" have the same size of a mature spore, so the "gel" should be included in the walls when completely formed...

And the apical apparatus is very complex, and consistent... Very interesting!

All in all the nearest species appears to be Rosellinia britannica but I have not a good knowledge of this genus.

What do you think?

Thank you

Mario

Hi Mario,
yes this is typical R. britannica. The sheath is often best seen by contrast in India ink. It does not stain in usual stains but it does in aqueous nigrosin, incubated overnight.
Cheers,
Jacques

Merci bien Jacques, plus vite que ton ombre...!
J'irai essayer avec de l'encre alors.
Salut!
Mario