Pictures?

Additional pictures

Good observation! Actually one ascus is still alive after 36 days (the one in the middle).

There are two species in my key that come into consideration: V. diversipila on leaves of Fagales, and V. venturioides on Vaccinium uliginosum leaves. Measurements are somewhat intermediate (see beow).

There is also a V. gaylussaciae on Gaylussacia leaves, but its spores are much larger.

The dark setae of your fungus look rather long, over 100 µm? Do you have a scale for the survey photo?

7. Asci †17-23 x 4.3-6 µ, apical ring very faintly ?blue in IKI, whole ascus wall faintly hemiamyloid (after KOH distinctly IKI-blue), setae c. 9-40 per apothecium, only inserted on flanks, basally lageniform, wall 0.5-1(-1.5) µm thick, light hairs only at margin, on leaves of Betula, Quercus, Populus, in autumn, Central Europe V. diversipila
7. Asci †26-46 x 4.3-6 µm, apical ring rather stongly blue in IKI, ascus wall IKI-, setae c. 80-120 per apothecium, hardly swollen near base, wall 1-3 µm thick, setae and light hairs occurring mixed on whole exterior, on leaves of Vaccinium uliginosum in early summer, Northern Europe V. venturioides

Zotto

Hello Zotto,

Thank you for commenting on my collection. It is my first introduction to this interesting genus. It does indeed seem very close to V. venturioides. The ascomatal hairs on the collection in the photo measure about 175 µm long. I will go back and check this with another apothecium to see if that is correct.

Incidentally, the material that had been dried for 36 days was able to produce a spore print on agar. So, as you pointed out, at least some of the asci remained alive then.

David

This is really long!

For the dead asci I get from your scale (19-)21-24(-26) x 3.8-4.1 µm. So this is closer to diversipila.

There are very few sequences of the genus, virtually only for V. japonica.

If you get a culture, please consider also a sequence.

Zotto

The cultures are growing slowly but well. However, the fragment of leaf used for the spore print also had a small white Hyaloscypha (I think) and a Venturia sp. The colonies could possibly be the Hyaloscypha.

Further work may have to wait until next June when the fungus is fruiting. It seems to be very abundant on its substrate and in that locality.

Is it very difficult to distinguish Gaylussacia from Vaccinium? Which species occur in the area?

They look much the same in the field, although the inforescences differ. I'm not the sharpest botanist around here. Perhaps I can show the leaves to someone who can identify them.

The measurements for the apothecial hairs given here previously is incorrect. They are actually only about 70-105 µm long. My apologies!

o.k., a little short for venturioides.

o.k., a little short for venturioides.