Paranectria oropensis
Anamorph. not known.
Teleomorph: stromata absent. Ascomata 250–400 µm diam. and 210–300 µm tall, solitary or in small clusters, superficial, subglobose, yellow-orange to pinkish, loosely attached to the substratum by a sparse white hyphal subiculum, with a sometimes conspicuous bright red pointed papillate apex, not changing colour in KOH; peridium 20–25 µm thick, rough-walled, covered with a dense layer of thick-walled hyphae 2.5–3·5 µm diam., composed of an outer layer of angular to elongate thick-walled cells, and an inner layer of colourless, thin-walled elongate cells, the ostiole surrounded by radially arranged yellowish thin-walled hyphae 20–30 µm long and ca 2 µm diam., merging into similar colourless thin-walled apical paraphyses extending from the internal ostiolar wall. Interascal tissue absent. Asci 95–130 × 20–27 µm, clavate with a short tapering stalk, thin-walled, not fissitunicate, the apex obtuse to rounded, without a clearly defined apical structure, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged biseriately and obliquely, 25·5–29 × 9–12·5 µm [(22–) 25–32 (–36) × (9–) 11–14 (–15) µm fide Hawksworth 1982], fusiform, colourless to pale yellow, smooth, muriform with 3–5 narrow transverse septa with each segment subdivided by 1–2 longitudinal septa, the septa sometimes oblique, thin-walled, with the apices attenuated into cellular ± curved appendages 4–8 (–12) µm long and ca 1 µm diam.
Assessed as of Least Concern on a global basis by Cannon & Minter (2019), and also for the UK by Woods & Coppins (2012).
Associated with a wide variety of lichens, particularly common in GBI on Lepraria incana and Lepraria finkii. The host specificity of this species has not been properly examined.
Widespread in GBI, extending from SE England to Highland Scotland, Mull and Skye; also recorded from Ireland.