See distribution (in percent) of septation of the spores in T. rasum (orange-brown) en T. variabile (blue) in my collections (LL) and in the collections of Mains (1954, M) (from book 'Aardtongen in Vlaanderen (Earthtongues of Flanders)', in preparation).

Checking many spores is necessary to see clearly the differences in septation between the two species.

Luc Lenaerts

Hi Malcom et al,

I have managed to find my notes on an unusual earthtongue I found at Newborough Warren on Anglesey, North Wales in August 2003. The fruiting bodies were very small (11-16mm high) and rounded in cross section rather than laterally compressed. They were growing in a wet dune slack close to Pinguicula vulgaris (Butterwort). Spore dimensions were 54-88x4-4.7 so shorter than in Malcom's collection. Septation was 6-11 and I could not decide between rasum and variabile, however, the habitat seemed to suggest rasum. I sent the specimens to Brian Spooner at Kew and he came up with T. variabile which surprised me a little. However, referring to my notes I find that 40% of the spores had 10-11, septa, which from the graph supplied via this forum is too high for T. rasum so the ID of variabile is certainly vindicated. It would appear that both rasum and variabile are rare, at least in Britain. DNA analysis may, of course, reveal more species.

Cheers,

Charles.

No, the presence of setae ruled out Geoglossum.

Charles.

I think part of the discrepancy arises from the fact that the measurements were from my old microscope and should have been enlarged by a factor of 1.3 making them 70-114x5.2-6.1.

Charles.