Part 6

Domsch, K. H., Gams, W. & Anderson, T. H. (1980). Compendium of soil fungi. Academic Press, New York.

Ellis, M. B. & Ellis, J. P. (1988). Microfungi on Miscellaneous Substrates. Croom Helm, London & Sydney.

Gilman, J. C. (1957). A Manual of Soil Fungi. Iowa State College Press.

Eliasson, U. & Lundqvist, N. (1979). Fimicolous Myxomycetes. Botaniska Notiser 132, 551-568. (A list of 34 spp., with some descriptions and illustrations).

Hawksworth, D. L., Kirk, P. M., Sutton, B. C. & Pegler, D. N. (1995). Ainsworth & Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi. 8th edn. CAB International, Wallingford.

Holden, M. (ed) (1982). Guide to the literature for the identification of British fungi, 4th Edition. Bulletin of the British Mycological Society 16, 36-55; 92-112.

Massee, G., & Salmon, E. S. (1901). Researches on coprophilous fungi. Annals of Botany, London 15, 313-357.

Seifert, K. A., Kendrick, W. B. & Murase, G. (1983). A key to hyphomycetes on dung. University of Waterloo Biology Series No. 27.

Webster, J. (1970). Coprophilous Fungi. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 54, 161-180.

Key 1. Ascomycota

1 Ascoma either globose to flask shaped, usually with an easily observable pore or neck (PERITHECIUM or PSEUDOTHECIUM, figs 16, 18, 19, 22, 27, 30, 32, 34-37), or discoid (APOTHECIUM, figs 1, 3, 4, 7, 11-14). Spores usually 8 in each ascus (less frequently 4, 16, 32, 64, 128 etc.). Asci ellipsoid to cylindrical, borne in a distinct hymenium, thus appearing in fascicles or distinct groups when the fruit body is squashed. 2 - Ascoma globose to subglobose, lacking a definite pore or neck (CLEISTOTHECIUM or GYMNOTHECIUM, figs 38, 39, 46). Asci globose to subglobose, 8-spored, not in a distinct hymenium, appearing quite free when the fruit body is squashed. KEY 2, 148 (p. 45)

2(1) Ascoma a PERITHECIUM or PSEUDOTHECIUM, usually dark in some part, not opening to a disc but remaining globose or flask shaped. Asci unitunicate, not operculate but often with an apical pore, which may stain blue in iodine, or bitunicate. KEY 2, 1 (p. 24) - Ascoma an APOTHECIUM, white or lightly coloured, soft fleshed, opening out to a disc or cushion shape when mature. Asci unitunicate. 3

3(2) Asci opening by an operculum (fig. 8), a bilabiate vertical split down to a subapical ring of thickening (fig. 15), or apparently just bursting. 4 - Asci inoperculate, with an apical pore. 96

4(3) Spores 8 (occasionally 4) in an ascus, colourless, purple or brown. 5 - Spores more than 8 in an ascus, colourless. 77

5(4) Spores remaining colourless. 6 - Spores purple or brown at maturity. 39

6(5) Apothecia with obvious hairs. 7 - Apothecia without obvious hairs (microscopic hairs up to 50µm long may be present). 14

7(6) Hairs brown. Apothecia orange, red orange or yellow orange. (Cheilymenia, fig. 1) 8 - Hairs colourless. Apothecia colourless or pinkish. (Lasiobolus, fig. 3) 12

8(7) Apothecia with stellate hairs. Spores 14-20 × 8-11µm. Cheilymenia stercorea (figs 1, 2) - Apothecia without stellate hairs. 9

9(8) Spores 14.5-18 × 8-9.5µm. Asci 10-13µm diam. Apothecia 2mm diam. or more. Cheilymenia coprinaria - Spores larger, 17 × 10µm or more. 10

10(9) Apothecia reddish orange, up to 1mm diam., marginal hairs rooting, wall 2-4µm thick. Spores 21-26 × 10-13.8µm. Cheilymenia fimicola - Apothecia pale orange yellow, marginal hairs superficial, wall up to 2µm thick. 11

11(10) Asci up to 22µm diam. Spores 17-27 × 10-14.5µm. Cheilymenia pulcherrima - Asci wider, 25µm diam. or more. Spores 23-26.5 × 13-16.5µm. Cheilymenia raripila

12(7) Hairs 600µm or longer. Spores 19-23 × 7-10µm. Lasiobolus macrotrichus - Hairs shorter, up to 600µm. 13

13(12) Asci clavate, 20µm diam. or wider. Spores 19-22 × 10.5-13.5µm. Lasiobolus cuniculi - Asci cylindrical, up to 20µm diam. Spores 18-22.5 × 9.5-11.5µm. Lasiobolus ciliatus (fig. 3)

14(6) Asci blue in iodine solution. 15 - Asci not blue in iodine. 24

15(14) Spores large, 30-42 × 15-18µm, warted, ellipsoid with acute apices. Thecotheus cinereus - Spores smaller, smooth or only finely ornamented 16

16(15) Apothecia brownish, large, 1cm diam. or more. (Peziza) 21 - Apothecia pale, up to 4mm diam. Asci protruding from hymenium when ripe. 17

17(16) Apothecia white to pink, up to 2mm diam. Spores finely verruculose, 18-25 × 8-14µm. Iodophanus carneus (fig. 4) - Apothecia pale, variously coloured when fresh, but drying darker. Spores smooth. (Thecotheus) 18

18(17) Spores apiculate at each end, smooth. 19 - Spores not apiculate, 20-22 × 8-10µm. Thecotheus agranulosus