Gloeocystidiellum porosum

From Cullaloe 24/01/2015.

This same species was picked up a couple of weeks ago but not definitively identified. When I dig up the picture of that one I'll add it to the bottom. The surface cracking of this species and the j+ spores are significant early flags. The abundant gloeocystidia at first look recall Tubulicrinis, with their scattered but significant presence. While Ellis and Ellis only list two species, including this one, CNE runs to 9. Spore size and ornamentation help to nail ID, along with the clamps on the hyphae. Substrate was deciduous, probably Fagus.

Tuberculate and cracked

J+

Iodine reaction visible on dark edges

Spores c. 6x3.5, faintly ornamented

Basidia 4-sterigmate

Gloeocystidia abundant

Close up

Single Cy

Hyphal clamp

In Meltzers

and Cotton Blue

From an earlier encounter, here's the same species in a form that threw me off the scent - on moss!

Exidiopsis calcea (maybe!)

Chesser Meet, 15./01/2015

Exidiopsis, Balerno (?), on conifer (?)

This nice Exidiopsis performed well under the lens. Keyed out very quickly in E&E to Exidiopsis, but then two potential candidates emerge, depending on colour - E.effusa and E.calcea. If it's pinkish/lilaceous then effusa is the favourite.

The red flag on effusa is that the substrate appeared to be coniferous, whereas effusa has a preference for deciduous wood. The description of calcea is very close, but it should lack the coloration described for effusa. It's not particularly colourful.

The other factor which suggests calcea is that according to the Swiss the spore size for effusa tops out at 15um, whereas ours were definitely bigger.

On balance I think this is E.calcea, but I don't recall a concensus on the night.

Pelicular resupinate, <0.5mm, colour?

Spores j-, hyaline, smooth, c.17.c x 6um, cylindrical-allantoid

Basidium with epibasida @ x1000

Top view showing form

Basidium septa

Mycobank

Fomes fomentarius

Big ol' elephant's foot ... Portmoak Moss

Botryobasidium subcoronatum, Cullaloe, December 2014

Apologies on this one for not staining it blue, when it really gets crazy. Nice flat candyfloss form in macro and those megapipe hyphae at c.8 microns are always impressive

Mycena sp.

from Blairadam Forest in Fife a tiny Mycena on a mossy tree. Never did get to the bottom of which, but microscopically a curious beast anyway

Hypocrea pulvinata - Ochre Cushion

Chopped from the top of a Piptoporus betulinus, I thought I wouldn't get far with this asco, but it seems like a "weel-kent face". It even has an English name - Ochre Cushion. Maybe the only Asco you'll ever see on here. Unless I find another Scarlet Elfcup that is.

Schizopora paradoxa

In Ellis and Ellis it's important that you say it has both pores and teeth. Frankly having seen it a few times I'm not sure I could say it has teeth, except in some longer grown examples. It is a nice and recognizable species though. Spores 3x5, hyaline, smooth, j- although I don't seem to have a photo here.

Panellus mitis, Blairadam, Fife, Dec 2014

You can't see the elastic from here, but it's there!

Plicatura crispa, Cullaloe, 3/1/2014

Cross-posting from Cataloguing Cullaloe, this nice Plicatura crispa abundant on the same beech as the previously featured Phlebia radiata. For what seems to be a highland species, this is a nice record in Fife (although its distribution goes considerably farther south).

Phlebia radiata

Covering large areas of a tree at Cullaloe, with some quite magnificent colours. Amongst other things there was also some nice Schizopora paradoxa too.

Phlebia radiata

Schizopora paradoxa

Ascocoryne sarcoides

Just because .. from Hill of Beath

Hemimycena tortuosa

A nice little species that#s been popping up recently, first encountered at Vogrie just over a year ago. Has been given the lovely moniker of "Dewdrop bonnet". Below is the cracking corkscrew cystidia for which it is presumably named in its scientific name.