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On Myrica gale, Mycomicrothelia confusa?

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  • July 3, 2025 at 11:52 am #33052
    JennyS

      Co. Cork, SW Ireland – on Myrica gale (Bog-myrtle) twigs beside a shady stream.

      A small perithecium with a sunken apex, the spores 1-septate, guttulate, ornamented, green becoming brown, 20-24(-28) x 7-8(-9) µm.

      It keys to Mycomicrothelia confusa but the spores in my specimen only appear to be brown when over-mature so I’m wondering if I’m mistaken?

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      July 3, 2025 at 6:26 pm #46610
      Neil Sanderson
      Senior Moderator

        Jenny

        The clour of the thallus looks more like Mycoporum antecellens, while the late colouring spores matches as well but the spores are a bit small. It looks like there are pycnidia as well, which are not seen on Mycomicrothelia confusa, which also has a very white thallus. The asci are classic Mycoporum type; obpyriform with the wall in the upper third very much thickened. Worth checking if threre are conidia in the smaller structures and what they are like.

        Mycomicrothelia confusa photo below. The very diffrent asci can just be made out.

        2010-10-02-10.jpg

        [attachment=0]2010-10-02-10.jpg[/attachment]

        Neil

        July 4, 2025 at 10:34 am #46611
        JennyS

          Thanks Neil,

          Mycoporum antecellens makes much more sense (and present on three other assorted twigs I’ve checked so far from that batch).

          Is it possible that the small spore size relates to the thallus/perithecium size as the twig it was on was very thin and less than 2mm in diameter?

          July 4, 2025 at 8:11 pm #46612
          Neil Sanderson
          Senior Moderator

            Jenny

            That would seem most likely, if you had normal Mycoporum antecellens nearby. Sizes in floras are measurements from typical, ideally mature material. If everything else matches then poor development is a more probable explanation than a new species. If other things are odd then maybe it is something else; not easy!

            Neil

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