Lecideine apothecia

[petemartin]

I found this recently on an old ash near Staveley ( Westmorland), in an area of pasture with little rock outcrops and some aged field trees. It's a very nitrogen enriched area in the main, but there's Ricasolia amplissima on a pollard 400m away, and I found Bacidia rubella on another ash not so far off that same day.

The thallus is grey-brown ("non-descript", C-, K-) and the black apothecia are up to 0.7mm diameter. Young ones look like large versions of Catillaria nigroclavata, with a well-pronounced margin, but they become more convex as they age- mostly they keep a margin. Sometimes there's a hint of purple or brown if you look at them, especially when wet.

My reading of my sections suggest the epithecium is brownish, with the paraphyses tops swollen. The hymenium is clear, the hypothecium light brownish. The spores are tricky little things to photograph, and few and far between... c 11-14um x 3.5-5um. Mostly I think they are 1 septate, though sometimes 3 septate ( I think...sometimes it looks as though they are 1 septate with 2 oil globules in each end). Some appear to have very undulating edges and shapes.

I'm drawn towards Catillaria, but the apothecia appear too big. I've never seen Catinaria atropurpurea, though it looks similar to some of the pics online. Maybe I'm miles off...all thoughts gratefully received.

[Neil Sanderson]

Pete

The spores are the wrong shape for Catinaria atropurpurea, the spore of the latter are quite ovoid but with some what pointed ends see http://www.irishlichens.ie/pages-lichen/l-474.html. The apothecia also do not look quite right

Not sure what it actually is! Catillaria flexuosa would be a good bet but the spores are wrong, https://www.verspreidingsatlas.nl/7580. Might be worth looking for more spores.

Neil

[petemartin]

Thanks for that Neil. Yes- I see the spores are wrong for C. atropurpurea.
Will have another go...and maybe go back for another look at the tree too.

[AlanFUSA]

Could the spores be simple? If so, 'Lecidea' erythrophaea is a possibility - Alan

[petemartin]

Thanks for that Alan- will have another look.