Cercophora silvatica  

Stroma: absent.

Ascomata: 300-580 µm diam, scattered or aggregated in small clusters, pyriform, semi-erumpent, the neck conical, 300-400 µm in height, periphysate; membranous, dark brown, the neck darker with weakly developed vertical pigmented ridges, with a few dark brown flexuous hyphal hairs which extend over the whole of the exposed part of the ascoma. Peridium composed of three layers; the outer layer of mid brown angular cells to 10 µm diam, merging into an inner layer of hyaline compressed tissue. Interascal tissue composed of copious filiform paraphyses to 5 µm diam, swollen between the septa, without an obvious mucous coating. Asci 220-240 x 15-18 µm, narrowly clavate, rather long-stalked, thin-walled at all stages, the apex rounded to truncate with a conspicuous J- apical ring to 3 µm diam and ca 1 µm thick, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged bi- or triseriately, at first 38-52 x 3-3.5 µm, often slightly sigmoid or weakly geniculate near the base, hyaline, thin-walled, aseptate and with two polar tapering gelatinous appendages 32-50 x ca<r> 2.5-3 µm in size; eventually (often after leaving the ascus) becoming septate about at the upper third, the upper cell 14-18 x 7-9 µm, becoming ellipsoidal to fusiform-ellipsoidal and dark brown, with a subapical to lateral germ pore.