Image of Lachnellula splendens (J. Schröt.) Baral & Matheis 2000

Description:

Habitat: alpine valley, mixed forest edge, dominant Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies, Ostrya carprinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Fraxinus excelsior, Corylus avellana, modestly southeast inclined mountain slope, calcareous ground (overgrown old scree, rock and boulders), limestone bedrock, relatively dry and warm place, partly sunny, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevation 600 m (1.950 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: dead, thin, very small piece of Picea abies branch loosely lying on rocky ground. - Comments: This seems to be a rare observation. There are more than 30 species in Genus Lachnellula, which are not easy to determine to species level. By luck L. splendens has unique spores, so I hope my determination is correct. Lachnellulas seem to be associated with Larix decidua canker and therefore an economically important genus. - Growing in a group of four fruit bodies on a single small branch. I have been trying hard to find some more fruit bodies, but with no success. Pileus diameter 1.2 (SD = 0.3) mm, n = 4, hairs length: 117 (SD = 23) μ, n = 6. - Spores smooth with many small oil drops. Dimensions: 28.9 (SD = 2.3) x 6.4 (SD = 0.5) μ, Q = 4.53 (SD = 0.5), n = 30. Asci dimensions: 145.6 (SD = 11.8) x 15.2 (SD = 1.6) μ, n = 12, with thin apical thickening. Paraphyses width: 1.9 (SD = 0.2) μ (minimum) and 4.7 (SD = 0.5) μ (at the apex), n = 12.Olymus CH20, Olympus NEA 40x/0.65, 400x and Olympus NEA 10x/0.25, 100 x (hairs), in water. AmScope MA500 digital camera. - Herbarium: Mycotheca and lichen herbarium (LJU-Li) of Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, Ljubljana, Index Herbariorum LJF - Ref.: (1) Dichotomous Key to Lachnellula (worldwide) (Trichoscyphelloideae, Lachnaceae, Helotiales, Ascomycetes), with a synoptic table of characters (H.O. Baral, Feb. 2000, with updates until 2008), unpublished(21,5-)23-30(-35) x (5,5-)5,8-6,5(-7,5) m (2) http://www.nahuby.sk/obrazok_detail.php?obrazok_id=414710&poradie=2&form_hash=605e69b1437ab3b9bc1d397470c6fbf825-32/6-7 (3) H. Kahr, W. Maurer, Ch. Scheuer, D. Friesacher and A., Die Haarbecherchen (Lachnellula-Arten) der Steiermark,JoanneaBotanik, 7 (2009), pp 6388 (21,5)2330(35) (5)5,56,5(7,5) μm (4)H.O. Baral & O.Baral, G.Marson, In vivo veritas, Hypocreales, 2 x CD, 2nd edition (2003)