Duportella malenconii (syn. Peniophora malenconii ) makes more sense geographically, but how can one tell these two species apart morphologically? I have specimens that I can check, hopefully not involving an experienced task, such as the hyphal system.
Nevertheless, Peniophora albidobadia is reported from the Mediterranean region according to GBIF but the majority (99%) are from the US - hence there is fine thread of doubt that it may still be P. albidobadia from a distribution point of view.
Thank you. I have no diverse opinion on these difficult fungi so I l will label this collection as indicated. I try to collect a sample and compare the spores. I saw C. triumphalis on the internet and concur that it looks very similar. The paper below (describing C. triumphans) gives a further - it has very small spores and the basidiocarp darkens to orange with age. So I guess i have to revisit the site (8 days later) !
Spirin et al., 2016
I found this Parasola sp. with distinct veil particles on the pileus. Unfortunately I was on weekend holiday and the specimen disintegrated 3 days later when back home. Is there a specific Parasola sp. which forms these veil flakes?. I found similar images of P. plicatilis that do that, but maybe its not a specific character.
Thank you
OK , I should fetch a sample and try to observe some spores and basidia and see to what I can compare in the book Polyporales by Berrnichia and Gordon. Ceriporia is a good indication - thank you (C. spissa have these colours). I will report further data here for discussion.
Dear Frank, (Tomentella),
Thank you for your valuable replies. I had estimated the spore size from sight (it appeared to be 5 divisions at 2.5um / div in IMG5248s ) but now I did a proper measurement with Pixmetre and the accurate sizes are:
(13.7) 14 - 16 (16.9) × (12.4) 13.1 - 15.3 (15.7) µm
Q = 1 - 1.1 ; N=24
Me = 15 × 14.3 µm ; Qe = 1
The wall (if I am interpreting it well) is much over 0.5um - typically 1.5-2.0um
The surface is a bit tricky, but when spores are focused at their equator, the outline is smooth, however there is some wrinkled surface showing in some spores that are focused on the surface ?!?
Yes the sample was found from Malta, close to the coast on a wooden plank used for building (under the roof). I think this is then Botryobasidium robustius ( Haplotrichum rubiginosum ).
I have still not understood how Haplotrichum rubiginosum (the Teleomorph) looks like - maybe mauve-pale purple like this:
http://www.pilzflora-ehingen.de/pilzflora/arthtml/brobustius.php
--------------
Spore measurement:
Is this polypore easy to identify from macrophotos ? Growing on the underside of a fallen plank of wood (unknown origin) in a damp habitat. Pore extremely small (4/mm perhaps).
What about Coniophora arida ?
I have already encountered Peniophora albobadia on Ceratonia siliqua, now I found something similar on falling and decaying branches of Olea europaea and possibly Schinus terebinthifolia. Do you confirm the species or I should do further checks. I do have specimens at home.
many thanks
At the end of the year, while my family were enjoying indoor pool in the hotel, I went to a small copse of olive trees in an urban areas and I found a small fungal treasure where i spent several hours. Amongst the bounty I found this beautiful microfungus growing from a plank of wood in advance state of decomposition. They formed small golden colonies (8-12mm) which often merged into each other. Looking with a magnifying glass, I could see fine threads of brown filaments (condiophores)
Under the microscope, the picture was very interesting too. The spores were globular, bright-golden yellow, about 12-13 um across, with what looks to be a lobed sporoplasm and a thick wall. These originated from an inflated, udder-like structure (= cow milking part!! ) with 4-10 well defined teats to which the conidiospores were attached. In turn these inflated structures were present on the terminal parts of thick-walled, septate, brownish hyphae arising from a mat of white mycelium on the substrate. The substrate was an old wooden plank (fallen from a ceiling) and dumped at the side of a damp olive plantation. Cant say the origin of the wood.
Now I am reading about P. badiofuscoides through a paper by Calonge et al. (2009):
P. badiofuscoides is showing a solid match in terms of asci size (reported as 280-300 µm); ascospore size 15-19 x 7-9 um and habitat in damp soil under pine. Being 3-5cm, it is a smaller species from badia ( up to 10cm) and is another feature closer to my findings. However there is one problem - my ascospores have 2 oil bodies (one mentioned for badiofuscoides).
https://www.mycocharentes.fr/pdf1/2116.pdf
However their keys mention 5 other species, sadly noy badiofusca which I eliminated them all except for P. phlebospora. I dont have much info on this species.
Dear friends. Sorry for my absence but I took a break to spend with my family - although I couldn't take a break from fungi and did some forays near the hotel!
OK back to this peziza, I just read a paper on P. saniosa (Ukranian finding) and I immediately noticed that the ascospores of their findings have very large warts compared to mine. Reading further, I saw that the asci at 360-400 um are much longer compared to my 250-300 um, and the habitat is not the same too. The ascospore length of the Ukrainian P. saniosa is reported to be 15.5-16.2 x 7.5-8.2 um is a bit shorter to that of my samples having sizes about 15.2 - 18.1 × 7.5 - 9.6 um (not sure if they included or excluded the ornamentation).
Saying that, morphologically is a closely related species and I do not have the keys which tell apart these species (maybe these large warts are not significant after all). Unfortunately, I did not injure fresh specimens to check the bluish-latex, but slicing specimens 24-32 hours after collection did not produce latex but the flesh was greyish with a blue tinge. hmmm...
Links not working anymore - which to compare you badiofusca 
LG Steve
Spores at high magnification in Cotton Blue reveal short ridges and big irregular warts which corresponds to Peziza badiofusca. The flesh shows a whitish flesh. I think this is close to the suspected species. Mossy habitat, colour, spore size, ... many characters matching (but not sure if there are other Pezizas to consider!. Pitty I have not dissected a fresh specimen to check for whitish latex, but the cross section of an old specimen shows a bit of white.
Micro-morphology:
Asci 255-288 um long, 13-15um wide
Spores with two oil bodies, broadly elliptical, with strong ornamentation, sizes:
(13.8) 15.2 - 18.1 (18.4) × (6.7) 7.5 - 9.6 (11.3) err
Q = (1.6) 1.8 - 2.1 (2.3) ; N = 21
Me = 16.6 × 8.8 err ; Qe = 1.9
Medullary excipulum of large globose to slightly angular hyphae, some reaching 50um across!
I think this is Peziza badiofusca
Today I worked on an interesting blackish-brown cup-fungus immersed in mossy calcareous soil in a forest margin (limestone based) here in Ma lta.
Now as it is, it resembles P. badia, but I think this has a little lighter brownish colour and its distribution is northern, and in acidic soils. I wonder if there are vicariants species of P. badia in the Mediterranean region looking like my specimen. P. violaceae maybe ?
P.S. I forgot photos at work - will upload shortly (sorry!)
Thank you Frank x x x
I am happy to add another species to the Maltese Mycoflora
Merry Christmas to you and dear ones
best wishes
Steve
Hello,
I have worked on this difficult polypore and consulted the last monograph by Berrnichia and maybe I have a conclusion between two species: This is the info I have
With this data and using Polyporales keys (Berrnichia & Gorjon) I am in the P. caesia, P. simulans and P. mediterraneocaesia dilemma.
P. caesia is given as spores up to 5um while P. simulans up to 5-6 (now that's very borderline to base a distinction!) however these two are said to have pubescent pilear surface and P. simulans or borealic/northern species.
The surface of my specimen is pubescent at the stipe attachment then its pubescence is soften to a compact texture, which if assumed to be smooth, the identification will fall onto P. mediterraneocaesia.
The spores of the latter species(4.2-6.1 x 1.4-1.7) fits with those of my specimen, so does the smallish size, host, habitat and Mediterranean distribution but P. mediterraneocaesia is defined to have an encrusted/rough hyphae at the epicutis (assumable referring to the outer surface of the pileus) but my specimens have them smooth. I mounted them in KOH so I hope that would not provide some reaction on the crystals. Saying that I saw exceptional hyphae with a roughened surface (that was mounted in water).
P. simulans is a northern species so it could be ruled out for that reason.
Your comments are more then welcomed (P. caesia(/P.simulans) or P. mediterraneocaesia ?)
Images of Veil (Suprapellis), Pileipellis and stipe hyphae (caulocystidia ?)
Dear friends, following Olivier tip, I have examined the spores, Cheilocystidia, Pleurocystidia, Caulocystidia, Basidia, Suprapellis (veil?) and Pileipellis of this interesting specimen. So here is the data in several posts.
Spores, tawny brown, almonds to phaseoliform, apiculus distinct, globular, gem-pore probably absent, surface smooth or finely pitted (?), oil bodies not seen. size:
(8.9) 9.4 - 11.9 (12.2) × (5.5) 5.7 - 7 (7.7) err
Q = (1.4) 1.45 - 1.9 (2) ; N=31
V = (151) 172 - 287 (331) err3
Me = 10.4 × 6.4 err ; Qe = 1.6 ; Ve = 226 err3
basidia
Clavate with broad ends, (x2-) x4 sterigmata, each 2.5-3.5 um long, slender horn-shaped, size:
(31.6) 32.5 - 38.6 (39.9) × (8.6) 10.3 - 11.3 (12) err
Q = (2.8) 2.9 - 3.6 (4.5) ; N=7
V = (1469) 1975 - 2364 (3001) err3
Me = 36.4 × 10.7 err ; Qe = 3.4 ; Ve = 2188 err3
Cheilocystidia abundant, lining the entire lamella edge, narrowly utriform with crystals on the apex, sitting on a short foot cell (septate base), hyaline, smooth, size:
(48.1) 50.4 - 67.7 (68.4) × (12.5) 14.6 - 17.2 (18.4) µm
Q = (3) 3.1 - 4.65 (4.7) ; N=13
V = (4788) 5656 - 9115 (10756) µm3
Me = 56.4 × 15.6 µm ; Qe = 3.7 ; Ve = 7240 µm3
Pleurocystidia frequent, same as cheilocystidia perhaps more slender and slightly longer
Suprapellis (veil?) composed of elongated cylindrical hyphae, 6-8 um wide, hyaline (unpigmented), with the terminal element being curved (flexuose) and unswollen rounded tip.
Pileipellis much more broad, sausage-shaped or broadly cylindrical, with distinct brown pigments encrusting the walls,
(32.4) 34.8 - 63.3 (73.4) × (8.8) 10.5 - 16.5 (18.9) µm
Q = (2.1) 2.4 - 5.1 (6.3) ; N=20
V = (1838) 1955 - 7265 (7655) µm3
Me = 48.5 × 14.1 µm ; Qe = 3.5 ; Ve = 5192 µm3
Caulocystidia (and hyphae of the stipe) tall and narrow cylindrical shaped, smooth, hyaline, straight, 7-11um wide ( 45-100 um long) with occasional swollen and almost globular (balloon shaped) terminal hyphae (=caulocystidia?) measuring 25um long and about 15um in width.
Clamp connection examined in all tissue explained, rather large sometimes.
Very small fruting body (1cm) , not sure if it is the normal size, cap very fibrous - Inocybe sp. ?
Sample collected
Hi, I found this black cup fungus (Ascomycete) and I considered Smardea and Pseudoplectania but now I am fixed on a dark-coloured Peziza sp. This population growing in mossy ground under Pinus halepensis in a forest path, in calcareous soil. In sunlight, the ascocarp has a purplish-brown tinge. I am showing this collection from photos I have taken in the field. Further examination in the Lab follows shortly.
I will produce images of spores, cheilocystidia (and pleuro) and pileipellis today. If other features are required I let you know. (The english translation of the fungus you suggested is "Cadaver"!!!)
Thank you so much for these helpful notes. I was away from mycology for two days but today/tmrw I should do some investigations. The fruiting body has a hint of blue. The stick was found around and probably is of Pinus halepensis. I consult Bernnichia's book . I keep you posted. tnx.
Can this small pore-bearing fungus (Polyporales ), approx 1 cm wide, be identified. The pores are very minute, barely visible with the naked eye. They were attached to a stick and I think they were facing down (hence not resupinate as the pic may indicate).
Hello, I found this nice species of Inocybe growing from leaf litter of Pinus halepensis and I think (not sure) to correspond to Inocybe rimosa (=I. fastigata). The colour, cracked cap and fluffy stipe corresponds. Wonder if you have different opinions or maybe there are other newly described species within the rimosa group.
LG Steve
