Host is fallen cones from an unidentified ornamental Picea sp in Ottawa ontario. The specimens grow from inbetween the scales on the cones.

It is a brownish stipitate ascomycete, stipe sometime have darker warts, they grow individually with few individuals per cones. the specimens measure up to 2-3 mm long. and perhaps up to 5-10 mm high in some case.

The ascus measure 75-95*6.5-7.5µ, they are octospored and usually biseriate to some extend. The have a crozier at the base, and react very faintly (if even) to melzer.

The spore are ellipsoid, smooth and measure 7-8*3.5-4.5 (in ascus), no spores where observed outside of the ascus, suggesting a still immature specimen.

Paraphyse are thin non-ramified treads, excipulum is orangeish and is somewhat moniliform in shape.

From the habitat and aspect I am thinking that this fungi might be Ciboria rufofusca, however there are a few difference here in the presence of biseriate ascus and larger spores. However I do not know if this is enough to indicate that this is another species or just unusual observation due to studying an immature specimen.

Here is a link to my plate on flickr

 https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1697/26312286211_d763a6a1c0_b.jpg

I am thankfull for any help in the identification/confirmation of this fungi.

Best regards

Jonathan M 

Hans-Otto Baral, 12-04-2016 11:14

Re : Perhaps Ciboria rufofusca?

Hi Jonathan

your asci and spores appear to me definitely to wide. And yes, although C. rufofusca tends to subbiseriate arrangement in the living ascus, I think that it is never such biseriate.

It would be good to have an oil immerison photo of ejected spores with a scale, to make up ones mind about spore size. Also living paraphyses and their contents would be helpful. On your margin photo I can roughly see that the inflated marginal cellls contain VBs.

Zotto

M Jonathan, 12-04-2016 14:59

Re : Perhaps Ciboria rufofusca?

Thank you, I will take a picture of the paraphyse in a few day, and hopefully by them the spore will have reached maturity and be ejected from the ascus.

regards

M Jonathan, 14-04-2016 23:11

Re : Perhaps Ciboria rufofusca?

Here are some additional photos, unfortunatly not in oil immersion, as my oil is not adequate for that. This time however I managed to get a slight reaction of melzer on older ascus

Released spore dimension are : 7.5-9.0µ*3-5µ.

 https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1493/26431998945_2fff2e4293_b.jpg    (spores)

 https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1451/26406061046_b67f93d068_b.jpg   (medula)
 
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1650/26339670422_cc4f1803c1_o.jpg     (Paraphyse)

 https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1560/26406065946_8bf7c91aa4_o.jpg    (Apical ring)

Hans-Otto Baral, 15-04-2016 18:29

Re : Perhaps Ciboria rufofusca?

a pity that you don't have suitable oil!

Did you see the globose ectal excipular cells?

A Moellerodiscus could be an option.