03-02-2026 20:44
Zetti MarioWhen I first saw this white mould on an Agaricus s
18-08-2025 15:07
Lothar Krieglsteiner
.. 20.7.25, in subarctic habital. The liverwort i
02-02-2026 21:46
Margot en Geert VullingsOn a barkless poplar branch, we found hairy discs
02-02-2026 14:55
Andgelo Mombert
Bonjour,Sur thalle de Lobaria pulmonaria.Conidiome
02-02-2026 14:33
Andgelo Mombert
Bonjour,Sur le thalle de Peltigera praetextata, ne
31-01-2026 10:22
Michel Hairaud
Bonjour, Cette hypocreale parasite en nombre les
02-02-2026 09:29
Bernard CLESSE
Bonjour à toutes et tous,Pour cette récolte de 2
01-02-2026 19:29
Nicolas Suberbielle
Bonjour, Marie-Rose D'Angelo (Société Mycologiq
31-01-2026 09:17
Marc Detollenaere
Dear Forum,On decorticated wood of Castanea,I foun
Habitat: Found yesterday (late August) after some rain, on acorns and cupules of Quercus robur, in damp and shady areas under a dead hedge fence (stacked dead wood), generally quite a damp muddy area, in mixed deciduous woodland with lots of Quercus and Corylus, ~25m elevation, Lower Weald, England.
Apothecia: Several with 0.5-1.5 mm diameter and some larger ones observed, < 10 mm stipe length depending on evironment, initially whitish and more translucent, yellowing with age (especially noticeable on disc), singular to caespitose, superficial, cyathiform and eventually discoid, margin more whitish and often undulating when mature, appearing to display geotropic growth and growing out of holes in the acorns.
IKI: Rings bb, hymenoscyphus-type, VBs with strongly dextrinoid reaction.
Spores: Elongated lacrymoid in face view, base acute and apex hemispherical, constricted at the middle and scutuloid in profile view, many small to medium VBs and some tiny LBs, appearing aseptate and uninucleate.
Free spores measured in water: 17.3-20.6 (21) x 4.4-4.7 um, Q = (3.7) 4-4.6 (4.7), n = 14, mean 19.3 x 4.5 um, Q mean = 4.2.
Asci: Cylindrical-clavate, apex appears acute-truncate, 8-spored, poroid, simple septa (furcations not clearly observed).
Paraphyses: Narrow cylindrical, with many small VBs, especially towards apex, apparently several at least 2-septate, most branching close to the base.
Ectal ex: Looks like textura prismatica (typica?), some narrower external hyphae with VBs.
Medullary ex: Looks like textura intricata.
Do you recognise any subgroups or varieties?
On IF, 'var. carpini' was elevated to species level by Gminder (2016). I guess on acorns in Western Europe with typical morphology would suggest this collection is 'var. fructigenus'.
I have seen similar apothecia on acorns before but not on hazelnuts. I can look more though as there are many around in the same wood and even close to where I found these acorns. It also seems interesting that they grow on the cupules as well as what seems to be the pericarp.
I can't find any discussion of an anamorph of H. fructigenus. Although I did find this interesting paper looking at mating genes in genomes of Leotiomycetes. I haven't read it properly yet, but they suggest many H. spp., including H. fructigenus, are homothallic. Presumably outcrossing between individuals on different nuts, if possible, would then be rarer anyway.
Wilson AM, Coetzee MPA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. Needles in fungal haystacks: Discovery of a putative a-factor pheromone and a unique mating strategy in the Leotiomycetes. PLoS One. 2023 Oct 12;18(10):e0292619.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10569646/





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