Orange pycnidia on bryophytes on bark

Dear all,

Another mystery from Scotland. It was growing on bryophytes on a branch of Acer sp. in a rich Lobarion habitat, between Pannaria species.

The pycnidia are orange, stalked, about 60-100 um tall. It produces conidia 12.8-15.0 x ca. 2.8-3.2 um, usually 1-septate. Conidiogenous cells are about 15 um long and about 1 um wide.

I’m not sure if there is a dead lichen under the pycnidia, so I’m not sure if it is a lichen or lichenicolous fungus. Under the microscope I see brown goniocysts below the stalks, which doesn’t look like any lichen I know.

[img]https://observation.org/media/photo/150879787.jpg[/img]

[img]https://observation.org/media/photo/150879788.jpg[/img]

[img]https://observation.org/media/photo/150879789.jpg[/img]

[img]https://observation.org/media/photo/150879791.jpg[/img]