Part 15

141(139) Stroma spreading over surface of dung or filamentous. Spores ellipsoid to slightly flattened on one side, with germ slit. (Xerophilic fungi developing after long periods of relatively dry incubation). (Wawelia) 142 - Stroma clavate, black, partly immersed to superficial, usually aggregated in small groups, ca 1-1.5mm high × 0.6-0.7mm diam., each containing a single perithecium. Spores ellipsoid with germ pore and gelatinous sheath. (Bombardioidea) 146

142(141) Stroma spreading on substrate, black brown, firm but not brittle. Ascomata globose, 0.5-1mm, with white hyphae at neck. Spores broad limoniform, 15-19 × 9-10µm. Wawelia effusa - Perithecia globose to pyriform, black, brown or dark grey, produced laterally along the length of fine stromatal strand growing from the dung. 143

143(142) Asci 4-spored. 144 - Asci 8-spored. 145

144(143) Spores 15-18 × 9-12µm. Perithecia up to 400µm diam., dark grey at maturity, single or clustered, the ostiole with a crown of silvery white hyphae. Stromata up to 30 × 0.1-0.5mm. Wawelia sp. - Spores 6-8 × 4-6µm. Stromata conical, white, 5-12 × 1-2mm. Wawelia regia

145(143) Perithecia hairy, globose, 350-500µm diam., stromatal strands up to 25mm long. Spores ellipsoid, flattened on one side, 9-12 × 6-8µm. Wawelia octospora - Perithecia villose with conidiophores, globose, 230-420µm diam., produced laterally on stromatic filaments 20-30 × 0.1-0.3mm. Filaments pink at first, with a white pointed tip, becoming brown, velvety with conidiophores. Spores ellipsoid to flattened on one side, 7.5-9.5 × 3-4.5µm. Wawelia sp. (fig. 37)

146(141) Asci 8-spored. Spores 20-31 × 9.5-15µm. Bombardioidea bombardioides - Asci 4-spored. 147

147(146) Spores 24-34 × 15-19(20)µm. Basal germ pore less distinct than the apical one. Bombardioidea serignanensis - Spores 34-43 × 16-22µm. Distinct germ pore at each end of spore. Bombardioidea stercoris

148 Fruit bodies solitary or in small groups, each a (key 1,1) subglobose, fertile, light brown head on a slender sterile stalk. Head soon bursting to expose the yellow ochraceous spore mass. On mixtures of bird droppings, cast pellets and decaying animal material. 149 - Fruit bodies superficial, lacking a distinct stalk. 150

149(148) Spores 5-8 × 2-3µm. Head 1-2mm diam. Onygena corvina (fig. 38) - Spores 7-9 × 4-6µm, 4-5µm. Head 2-4mm diam. Onygena equina

150(148) Fruit bodies with an external wall of loosely anastomosing and interwoven hyphae, and with ± specialised terminal cells (GYMNOTHECIA, fig. 39). 151 - Fruit bodies with a well defined parenchymatic wall (CLEISTOTHECIA, fig. 46). 161

151(150) Gymnothecia with simple thin-walled, ± uniform and poorly developed hyphae constituting the outer hyphal sheath. 152 - Gymnothecia with thick-walled hyphae modified at their ends into appendages, or if thin-walled then always accompanied by appendages (i.e. curled, toothed or pointed hyphae). 155

152(151) Gymnothecia red-orange to brick-red. Ascospores orange, subglobose to ellipsoid, with an equatorial furrow, smooth, 4.5-5.5 × 3.5-4.5µm. Arachniotus ruber (fig. 40) - Gymnothecia white or yellow, never orange or brick-red. Ascospores without an equatorial furrow. 153

153(152) Gymnothecia white. Ascospores hyaline, ellipsoid, smooth, 3-4 × 2-2.5µm. Arachniotus candidus - Gymnothecia distinctly pigmented, yellow or brown. Ascospores larger than 4µm. 154

154(153) Gymnothecia yellow brown. Ascospores orange to brownish, slightly lenticular, smooth or slightly roughened, 5-6.5 × 3.3-4.6µm. Arachniotus confluens - Gymnothecia lemon yellow. Ascospores lemon yellow, lenticular, smooth, 5-6 × 3-4.5µm. Arachniotus citrinus

155(151) Gymnothecia possessing only thick pigmented hyphae. 156 - Gymnothecia possessing ± thin, hyaline hyphae with only a few, although often distinctive, appendages (i.e. comb-shaped end cells or dumb-bell shaped asperulate cells accompanying twisted and bent hyphae). 160

156(155) Gymnothecia brown-black or dark greenish-grey, with external hyphae with spine-like branches and septate, hooked appendages. Ascospores orange brownish, ovate, delicately striate, 4-5.2 × 2.4-3.3µm. Myxotrichum chartarum (fig. 41) - Gymnothecia never black, and, if possessing thick-walled hyphae, then appendages never septate. Ascospores smooth, or if ornamented then asperulate or echinulate. 157

157(156) Gymnothecia rose to orange-brown or yellowish. Appendages curved or irregularly branched and pointed, never verticillately branched. Ascospores smooth, or at most asperulate. 158 - Gymnothecia red-brown with appendages verticillately branched. Ascospores 3-4.5 × 2-2.8µm, yellowish brown, lenticular. Actinodendron verticillatum

158(157) Gymnothecia rosy pink when young, becoming browner, with spines and curved, non-septate hairs. Ascospores hyaline, globose to subglobose, asperulate, 3-5 × 2.5-4µm. Gymnoascus californiensis (fig. 42) - Gymnothecia yellow. Ascospores smooth. 159

159(158) Gymnothecia yellow to yellow-brown, without elongated appendages but with thick-walled branches, few of which are pointed. Ascospores globose-ellipsoid, yellow to brownish, 3-4.5 × 3.5µm. Gymnoascus reesii (fig. 43) - Gymnothecia golden yellow to reddish-brown, with acute-ended appendages. Ascospores lenticular, smooth, hyaline, 2.5-3.5 × 2-2.5µm. Pseudogymnoascus roseus

160(155) Gymnothecia orange brown, with comb-like appendages. Ascospores slightly lenticular, pale orange, 3.3-3.6 × 2-2.6µm. Ctenomyces serratus (fig. 44) - Gymnothecia whitish to pale ochraceous, particularly when dry, with few appendages but those present twisted and bent, and their branches constricted with regular or irregular dumb-bell shaped cells. Hyphal walls asperulate or with protuberances. Ascospores smooth, lenticular, hyaline, 2.4-3.3 × 2µm. Arthroderma curreyi (fig. 45)

161(150) Asci relatively large, 100-200-spored, 1-3/fruit body. 'Cleistothecia' minute, <100 (rarely <250)µm diam., immersed. see Thelebolus etc. (Key 1, 86) - Asci with 8 or fewer spores. 162

162(161) Ascospores purple at maturity, large, 50-70 × 25-35µm, epispore with a few longitudinal cracks. see Ascobolus immersus (Key 1, 48) - Ascospores smaller, hyaline, yellow, olivaceous, brown or black. 163

163(162) Ascospores olivaceous, brown or black, at least in part. 164 - Ascospores aseptate, hyaline, yellow or other pale colours. 174

164(163) Ascospores 4-celled (cf. Sporormiella), with germ slits, readily fragmenting. Asci clavate, bitunicate. Cleistothecia black, shiny, up to 500µm diam. 165 - Ascospores 1- or 2-celled. 166

165(164) Ascus stalk up to 20µm long. Ascospores 25-32 × 5µm. Preussia vulgaris - Ascus stalk 30-60µm long. Ascospores 26-38 × 5-7µm. Preussia funiculata (fig. 47)

166(164) Ascospores 2-celled. 167 - Ascospores 1-celled. 170

167(166) Spores unequally 2-celled, one brown ellipsoid, with an apical germ pore, 10-12 × 6.5-7.5µm, the other a basal hyaline, cylindrical pedicel, 6-8 × 3µm. Cleistothecia black, globose, up to 250µm diam., covered with flexuous brown hairs up to 1mm long. Asci evanescent. Zopfiella erostrata - Spores equally 2-celled. 168

168(167) Spores not constricted at the septum, ellipsoid, golden-brown, 25-30 × 10-15µm with 1-3 guttules in each cell. Cleistothecia gregarious on a mycelial mat, whitish to pale orange, up to 500µm diam. Heleococcum aurantiacum (fig. 48) - Spores hyaline, divided into two almost globose cells by the constricting septum. Ascomata superficial, globose, dark coloured. (Mycoarachis) 169