Coniochaeta sordaria  

Anamorph: unknown. Teleomorph: ascomata 130-220µm diam, superficial, aggregated and sometimes coalesced, globose to pyriform, often rather irregularly shaped, covered with rather sparse dark brown irregular spines to ca 30µm in length, the ostiolate periphysate. Peridium composed of an outer layer of dark brown thick-walled textura angularis with cells to 6µm diam, and inner less strongly pigmented layers of compressed cells. Interascal tissue well-developed, of fairly thick-walled paraphyses to ca 2µm diam. Asci 59-67 x 5-6µm, cylindrical, thin-walled, fairly short-stalked, the apex rounded to truncate, with a small apical ring to 2µm diam, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged uniseriately, 5.5-7 x 4-4.5 x 3-4µm, flattened, oblong-elliptic in face view, elliptical in side view, mid brown, with a prominent germ slit on one side extending ± the whole length of the spore, gelatinous sheath not seen.

The identity of this species is not clear, and the identification is
made with reservation. It appears to be similar to C.
velutina<r> but with rather smaller ascospores. The collections
referred to C. velutina by Munk (1957) may be the same taxon.