... et parfois, j'ai des spores 1-septées comme chez A. sarcoides (il y a une paraphyse qui passe devant la spore). En outre, les dimensions sont intermédiaires.

Dois-je tout de même conclure sur A. cylichnium? Des intermédiaires entre les deux espèces sont-ils connus?

Pour info, c'est sur hêtre, les fructifications sont très mûres, et les prélèvements pour la micro viennent de la même partie d'une même fructification.

Votre avis?

Amitiés - Luc BAILLY.

Without vital spores this question is hardly to answer. The confusion in Ascocoryne is simply the result of the fact that the literature has consequently been performed on dead material.

There do not exist any forms intermediate between A. sarcoides and A. cylichnium, instead the two species are very very distinct. But the still not validly described A. inflata is a close relative and could be the one you have. It is named for its strongly capitate paraphyses, did you look for them?

On the DVD I have a key on Ascocoryne which shows the relevant characters.

The septa can also be seen in water mounts when the spores are still alive. Then you can see the important oil drops. And by the way, Ascocoryne ejects spores always aseptate, septate spores are the result of a postmaturation process. A. cylichnium often has 5-6 septa while sarcoides and inflata max. 3 septa.

Zotto

Hi Zotto, thanks for your reply.

IIRC there are no capitate paraphyses - at least there are none in the photos I took. Here's one of those photos, including many spores in ascus and one or two paraphyses, observed in water.

Cheers - LUC.

That looks good! So cylichnium is completely excluded because of the two big oil drops (cylichnium is always multiguttulate).

A. inflata has rather small apothecia and is almost sessile, A. sarcoides usually much larger.

Zotto

So it's A. sarcoides. The apothecia's were quite large. Thanks, Zotto.