Coniochaeta ligniaria (All Fungi)
Anamorph: Phialophora sp. fide Rogers (1965). Teleomorph: Ascomata 200-340µm diam, scattered or aggregated, superficial or with the base slightly immersed; ± globose, the neck hardly developed, the ostiole periphysate, covered in very irregular black thick-walled setae, usually less than 20µm long. Peridium composed of an outer layer of mid-brown thin-walled textura angularis and inner hyaline layers. Interascal tissue of paraphyses, sparse, thin-walled, to 5µm diam, gradually tapering, ? deliquescent at maturity. Asci 154-180 x 10-11µm, cylindrical, fairly long-stalked, the apex rounded to truncate, with a conspicuous apical ring 2-3µm diam and ca 1µm thick, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged uniseriately, (12-)13.5-16.5 x (6.5-)7-9µm x 6-8µm, ellipsoidal, usually hardly flattened laterally, mid brown, fairly thick-walled, with a prominent germ slit extending ± the whole length of one face of the spore, mucous sheath not seen.
This species has relatively large ascospores which are hardly flattened. Occasional asci are four-spored, and in these the spores are slightly larger than the norm. With further research, they may be referred to a separate species. The one collection from dung examined has somewhat smaller ascospores than the norm, and may be misidentified.
Collections on animal dung have sometimes been identified separately as C. vagans, but there does not seem to be a distinction at the morphological level.
In GB&I, on decorticated wood of Acer, Fagus, Picea, Quercus and Ulex, and of an unidentified conifer, on rabbit dung and isol. ex soil.
England: Lancashire, Norfolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, Yorkshire; Scotland: Arran, Perthshire, Sutherland; Wales: Powys.