Stictis elongatispora
Anamorph: not known.
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecia, immersed, opening by a pore but not becoming erumpent, at the surface 140-180 (-200) µm diam. with an opening 70-90 µm diam., the margin well-developed, entire, slightly protruding, white, crystalline. In vertical section 300-350 µm diam., ± globose, the disc deeply urceolate, grey when viewed from above. Exciple 40-50 µm thick, pale brown, strongly melanized at the base, composed of a single layer of thick-walled contorted and intertwined hyphae ca 2 µm diam., the upper part with massive ± hyaline crystalline inclusions. Periphysoids lining the upper and lateral parts of the exciple, to 20 µm in length. Subhymenium 12-15 µm thick, composed of small angular isodiametric cells, not staining in iodine. Paraphyses copious, filiform, septate, 1-1.5 µm diam., the apices only slightly and irregularly enlarged. Asci 230-270 x 4-5.5 µm, narrowly cylindrical, somewhat swollen in the central part when mature, not fissitunicate, the apex obtuse to rounded with an indistinctly refractive cap ca 2 µm thick, 8-spored. Ascospores helically coiled within the ascus, 300-320 x ca 1.5 µm, filiform, thin-walled, slightly tapering towards each end, hyaline, thin-walled, very indistinctly septate with cells 8-10 µm in length where visible, without a perispore, gelatinous sheath or appendages.
Not formally assessed; rarely reported but likely to be overlooked - as of April 2018 only five GBI records are known.
Distinctive for the melanized base of the ascoma and the length of its ascospores, which are significantly longer than the asci and are helically coiled.
Known from dead leaves and stems of Carex flacca, C. hirta and Juncus sp. A record on Rumex hydrolapathum needs confirmation.
Reported from VC1 W Cornwall, VC25 E Suffolk, VC38 Warwickshire and VC45 Pembrokeshire.