Part 16

169(168) Asci 8-spored, 5.5-11µm diam. Spores 5-5.5 × 3-3.5µm. Mycoarachis inversa - Asci 4-spored, 6-6.5µm diam. Spores 4.5-5 × 2-2.5µm. Mycoarachis tetraspora

170(166) Asci broad-clavate, (1)-2-(3)-spored, 30-50 × 13-18µm. Spores brown-black with short ridges and warts, subglobose, 12-15.5 × 11-12.5µm, with a single germ pore. Copromyces bisporus (fig. 49) - Asci 8-spored. 171

171(170) Spores globose, sooty brown, 3µm diam. Cleistothecia gregarious, with basal spirally coiled appendages, black, 100-200µm diam., partially immersed in a white to red felty hyphal mat. Pleuroascus nicholsonii - Spores larger, ellipsoid or limoniform. 172

172(171) Spores olivaceous, limoniform, usually with an apical germ pore. Perithecia greyish or greenish, abundantly hairy, branched or simple, straight or curly. Asci pedicellate, soon disappearing. see Chaetomium at 5 - Spores darker, with 1 or more minute germ pores. Cleistothecia distinctly but not abundantly hairy. 173

173(172) Spores smoky brown, broadly ovoid, 9-14 × 6-9µm. Cleistothecial hairs short, up to 30µm. Thielavia wareingii - Spores dark brown, flattened limoniform, 13-16 × 10-13 × 8-9µm. Cleistothecial hairs of two types, some smooth, dark brown, arising from the base up to 3mm long, others greyish green, rough, up to ca 120µm. Thielavia fimeti

174(163) Cleistothecia produced within a common arachnoid mycelial mass. Spores smooth or minutely asperulate, yellow to yellow-brown, broadly ellipsoid, 4-5 × 3-5µm. Aphanoascus fulvescens - Cleistothecia single or gregarious, but not on or in a mycelial mass. 175

175(174) Cleistothecia 170-750µm diam., covered with long (several mm when extended), thick-walled, aseptate, helical appendages. Asci clavate cylindrical, evanescent, 35-62 × 12-21µm. Spores ellipsoid, hyaline, 12-17 × 9-12µm. Lasiobolidium spirale - Cleistothecia without coiled appendages. 176

176(175) Cleistothecia with hairs or appendages. 177 - Cleistothecia smooth. 178

177(176) Cleistothecia black, shining, 100-200µm diam., with dark brown-black thick-walled hairs with hooked tips. Asci 8-15µm diam. Spores straw or copper coloured, ellipsoid, 4-7 × 3.5-4.5µm with de Bary bubble and a germ pore at each end. Kernia nitida - Cleistothecia reddish brown, less than 1mm diam., with long simple appendages curled at the tips. Spores hyaline, oblate, 3.55 × 2-3µm. Arachnomyces nitidus (fig. 50)

178(176) Ascospores globose, larger than 9µm. 179 - Ascospores ellipsoid, up to 9µm. Asci always subglobose. 180

179(178) Ascospores, smooth, 9-13µm. Orbicula parietina (fig. 51) - Ascospores ornamented, 13-24µm Asci subglobose. Cleistothecia ochraceous, becoming yellowish brown or flushed cinnamon. Roumegueriella rufula (fig. 52)

180(178) Ascospores hyaline, then faintly yellowish, minutely spiny, 2.5-3 × 2-2.5µm. Cleistothecia pale, then dark brown. Aphanoascus stercoraria (fig. 53) - Ascospores hyaline, then brown, smooth, 5.5-6 × 3.5-4µm. Cleistothecia dark brown from the beginning. Pseudeurotium ovale (fig. 54)

Key 3. Basidiomycota

1 Basidia single-celled (fig. 55). 2 - Basidia transversely or longitudinally septate (fig. 55), or difficult to observe. 71

2(1) Fruit body agaricoid, i.e. mushroom-shaped with gills underneath cap (figs 56, 67). 3 - Fruit body not agaricoid, without gills (figs 65, 66). 69

3(2) Spore print white or pale coloured, hyaline s.m. (Usually on straw/dung mixtures, never on raw dung except when very old). 5 - Spore print coloured. 4

4(3) Spore print pinkish or pale cinnamon, honey-coloured s.m. (Usually on straw/dung mixtures, never on raw dung). 6 - Spore print darker, in shades of brown or black. 8

5(3) Stem eccentric. Fruit body pure white. Spores ellipsoid, smooth. Pleurotellus s. lato (If gills pink and spores longitudinally ridged see Clitopilus passackerianus, fig. 67) - Stem central. 7

6(4) Fruit body white, ivory or very pale tan, with a smell of cucumber. Gills decurrent. Clitocybe augeana - Fruit body yellow, with scaly cap. Gills free or just adnate. Fruit body with distinct ring and granular veil. (Commonly in plant pots. Probably associated with peaty material more than dung). Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (L. cepaestipes and L. lilacinogranulosus occur in similar situations).

7(5) Fruit body with amethyst/purple shades, with eccentric stem. Spores subglobose, slightly ornamented to nearly smooth. (On compost heaps in gardens). Lepista nuda - Fruit body with pink gills and distinct volva at stem base. Cap white to pale hazel. Stem white. Spores broadly ellipsoid, smooth. Volvariella speciosa

8(4) Spore print distinctly brown (fulvous, tawny, rust coloured etc.). 9 - Spore print some darker shade, fuscous, fuliginous or violaceous black. 20

9(8) Stem distinctly annulate, apex striate. Conocybe percincta (Has been found on straw/dung mixtures, never on raw dung). - Stem lacking a veil. 10

10(9) Cap rich chrome yellow, viscid, soon reduced to a sticky mass, easily collapsing. Bolbitius vitellinus - Cap in shades of brown, never brightly coloured and if collapsing then cap elongate-cylindric and white to pale cream. 11

11(10) Spore print dull, sepia or snuff-brown. On rabbit pellets in sand dunes. Agrocybe subpediades - Spore print, brighter coloured, orange/rust brown. (Conocybe) 12

12(11) Gill edge with irregularly fusoid cystidia with obtuse apices (lageniform). Cap viscid. Conocybe coprophila - Gill edge with distinctly capitate cells resembling a glass stoppered bottle (lecythiform). Cap never viscid, often pubescent under a lens. 13

13(12) Stem covered in long hairs. 14 - Stem covered in lecythiform cells similar to those on gill edge, giving a farinaceous appearance under a lens. NEVER with long hairs. (Dung/straw mixtures). Large as in a Cortinarius. Spores smooth. Conocybe intrusa (C. leucopus has been found on manured soil in gardens; C. antipus has hexagonal spores and grows on dung piles).

14(13) Stem with both long hairs and lecythiform cystidia. [Illustration] 15 - Stem with hairs and lageniform cystidia. [Illustration] 16

15(14) Spores 11-14 × 7-9µm. Taste and smell strong, of fresh meal. Conocybe farinacea - Spores large, over 15 × up to 10µm. Taste and smell none or slightly acidic. Conocybe pubescens (C. subpubescens might be found on straw/dung mixtures, and differs in spores 11-13 × 6-8µm).