Saccobolus beckii
Anamorph: not known.
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecia, solitary or gregarious, superficial, sessile, 100-700 µm diam., initially ± globular, becoming pulvinate, almost hyaline, without hairs or other ornamentation, the margin not differentiated. Disk convex, hyaline, at maturity dotted with the black protruding tips of ripe asci. Hymenium 130-150 µm thick. Hypothecium not clearly differentiated. Excipulum thin, of intertwined, cylindrical hyphae 2.0-3.5 µm diam., hyaline or with some pale violaceous or brownish-violaceous intercellular pigment. Interascal tissue of sparse branched or unbranched septate cylindrical paraphyses 2-3 µm diam., scarcely thickened above. Asci 130-180 x 40-47 µm, broadly clavate, with a rather broad thick base, the apex truncate, the wall blue in Melzer's reagent, 8-spored. Spore-clusters 42-60 x 18-24 µm, rather compact, elongate, covered in a common gelatinous sheath. Ascospores (16-) 17.5-23 x 8.5-10 µm, arranged according to pattern II (Brummelen 1967), ellipsoid-fusiform, often slightly ventricose, aseptate, at first hyaline, finally ± black, with very coarse warts or thick lumps of pigment separated by irregular fissures.
Not formally assessed. The species has only been reported from about ten sites in Great Britain, but it is likely to be overlooked. It would probably be considered as Data Deficient.
Characterized especially by its spore clusters with an extensively cracked or shallowly verrucose epispore layer.
On dung of cow, deer and sheep.
Known from England (Yorkshire) and Scotland (VC96 E Inverness, VC97 W Inverness, VC104 N Ebudes and VC110 Outer Hebrides).