Sarea resinae
Anamorph: conidiomata pycnidia, 0·1–0·5 mm diam., arising singly or aggregated within a stroma, superficial, commonly intermixed with the apothecia in nature, subglobose, pale orange or flesh-pink, walls of interwoven hyphae 2–2·5 μm diam., the wall uneven in width and sometimes convoluted to give a multilocular appearance. Ostiole papillate at first, becoming expanded with age. Conidiophores hyaline, short, sometimes branched and septate near the base, with 1–3 conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells 7–15 × 1·5–2·5 μm, cylindrical, slightly tapered, hyaline, proliferating percurrently, occasionally annellate. Conidia abundant, forming in a compact gelatinous mass, 2–3 μm diam., subglobose when mature, angular by mutual compression when young, hyaline, aseptate, smooth- and rather thick-walled, extruded in a creamy drop.
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecia, 0·5–1·5 mm diam., scattered, superficial, sessile or shortly stipitate, pale to bright orange, the disc with a raised exciple when young but becoming convex with age, gelatinous when fresh and waxy when dry. Excipulum to 100 μm thick, of radially arranged short-celled hyaline hyphae 3–4 μm diam. immersed in a gelatinous matrix, the outer edge and epithecium encrusted with orange granules. Subhymenium thick, gelatinous, almost pseudoparenchymatous, hyaline. Interascal tissue of ± simple paraphyses, 1·5–2 μm diam., numerous, filiform, septate, within a gelatinous matrix, the apices with orange granules forming an epithecial layer. Hymenium 80–100 μm tall, weakly blue in iodine. Asci 80–100 × 15–20 μm, clavate, with a thick inner wall turning blue in iodine, an apical cap with a broad pore, and an outer gelatinous layer also turning blue in iodine, a thin non-staining layer separating the outer and inner layers, multispored. Ascospores numerous, 2–3 μm diam., globose, aseptate, hyaline, smooth-walled, without a gelatinous sheath or epispore.
Not formally assessed, but wideapread and reasonably common especially in the north. It would probably be assessed as of Least Concern.
On resinous exudates (often from cankers or mechanical wounds) from coniferous bark and wood, especially on Larix, Picea and Pinus.
Throughout the British Isles, ranging from central southern and south-eastern England to the north of Scotland. Also widespread in wales and reported from both Northern Ireland and ROI.
Probably not a pathogen and not lichenized, despite its phylogenetic history. Most probably a saprotroph gaining nutrition from the tree resin.