Cercophora caudata  

Stroma absent.

Ascomata 350-500 µm diam, pyriform, at first immersed but sometimes semi-erumpent as the substratum decays, the neck papillate to truncate, to 200 µm in height, periphysate; black, membranous, covered in mid-brown thick-walled hyphal hairs, the ostiolar region covered in almost black very thick-walled short irregular obtuse spinose hairs to 20 µm long and 3.5 µm diam. Peridium composed of three layers; the outer layer of mid brown angular cells to 12 µm diam, merging into an inner layer of hyaline compressed tissue. Interascal tissue composed of copious thin-walled simple paraphyses to 3.5 µm diam, without an obvious mucous coating. Asci 190-240 x 11-14 µm, ± cylindrical, rather long-stalked, thin-walled ta all stages, the apex rounded to truncate with a conspicuous J- apical ring to 3.5 µm diam and ca 0.5 µm thick, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged biseriately, at first 43-55 x 4.5-6 µm, cylindrical, geniculate about 20-25% of their length, hyaline, thin-walled, aseptate and with two polar tapering gelatinous appendages 6-14 x ca 1 µm which are sometimes difficult to observe due to degeneration; eventually (often after leaving the ascus) becoming septate about at the upper third, the upper cell 16-21 x 7-10 µm, becoming ellipsoidal to fusiform-ellipsoidal and dark brown, with a subapical germ pore.

Anamorph: unknown.

A common species of rotten wood, characterized by its ascospores with gelatinous appendages and the vestiture surrounding the ascomatal necks.