Part 9

74(73) Spore clusters mostly over 40µm long. 75 - Spore clusters mostly under 40µm long. 76

75(74) Spore clusters 38-62 × 14-19µm. Spores 13-21.5 × 6.5-9.5µm, smooth, finely warted or with reticulate cracks. Apothecia 0.2-2mm diam. Saccobolus versicolor (fig. 10) - Spore clusters 42-60 × 18-24µm. Spores very coarsely warted, 17.5-23 × 8.5-10µm (inc. warts). Saccobolus beckii

76(74) Spore clusters compact, 26-43 × 13-19µm. Spores 13.5-18 × 7.5-9.5µm, epispore with fine or coarse warts. Apothecia 0.3-0.8mm diam. Saccobolus obscurus - Spore clusters elongated, 28-37 × 10-13µm. Spores 10-14.5 × 5-7.5µm, epispore smooth or very finely granular. Apothecia 0.1-0.3mm diam. Saccobolus depauperatus

77(4) Asci operculate or bursting, without a subapical ring. Spores ellipsoid. 78 - Apothecia white, often minutely hairy at the margin. Ascus dehiscing by a vertical slit; the slit is prevented from running right down the ascus by a subapical ring of thickening. Spores ellipsoid-fusiform. (Ascozonus, figs 14, 15) 90

78(77) Asci 16-spored. Spores ellipsoid, 11-16 × 7-10µm. Coprotus sexdecemsporus - Asci more than 16-spored. 79

79(78) Asci 32-spored. 80 - Asci more than 32-spored. 84

80(79) Asci very large, nearly 0.5mm long, spores 30-35 × 13-17µm (32-40 × 20-24µm in Kimbrough, 1969). Apothecia pale coloured. Thecotheus pelletieri - Asci and spores smaller. 81

81(80) Spores 10µm or longer. 83 - Spores up to 10µm long. 82

82(81) Spores ellipsoid, with minute scattered warts visible under oil-immersion, 7-9 × 4-4.5µm. Apothecia densely crowded, 90-120µm diam., with 8-13 asci. Asci 32-55 × 16-18µm with (24-)32 spores. Paraphyses 1.5-2µm, clavate to 4-4.5µm. Thelebolus caninus - Spores subacute at apices, ca 6 × 4µm (described as 'minute'; this value is suggested by Boudier's comparison with R. dubius, for which measurements are given). Apothecia densely crowded, tawny yellowish-brown. Ryparobius brunneus

83(81) Spores 10-12.5 × 5-7.5µm. Asci clavate, 75-100 × 20-30µm. Paraphyses enlarged to 6µm at apex. Coprotus albidus - Spores 13.5-17.5 × 7-8µm. Asci 10-15 per apothecium, 120-175 × 50-75µm. Paraphyses filiform. Coprotus rhyparobioides

84(79) Asci with up to 64 spores. 85 - Asci with many more than 64 spores--impractical to count. 86

85(84) Asci 64-spored, broad clavate with short stalk, 80-130 × 30-60µm. Spores 8-12 × 4-7µm. Coprotus niveus - Asci broadly clavate with up to 64 spores, 60-100 × 20-30µm. Spores 7-10 × 4.5-5.5µm. Apothecia superficial, on the surface of the substrate, yellowish brown, gregarious, united into a crust. Thelebolus crustaceus

86(84) Apothecia superficial, 400-600µm diam., with prominent, acuminate, superficial, 1-2-septate hairs, 80-190µm long, often roughened towards their apex, with one 1000+-spored ascus, 110-240 × 15-27µm. Spores very variable, 6.5-16 × 3.7-8.8µm (mostly 7.5-13 × 4.5-7µm). Lasiobolus monascus - Apothecia minute, rarely above 350µm diam., globose and immersed in substrate when young. Asci broad globose, with 100-200 spores. Usually only 1-3 asci in each apothecium, which dehisce by bursting at the apex. 87 (Other Ryparobius spp. will key out here [e.g. R. dubius, R. myriosporus, R. pachyascus and R. polysporus]. They all have scattered to gregarious, immersed to semi-immersed apothecia 100-200µm diam., with relatively few asci, each with 100-250 ellipsoid to subacuminate ca 5-7 × 3-4µm spores. There are insufficient modern observations to allow their identification and separation with confidence).

87(86) Apothecia with a few, but obvious, setae. Spores 9 × 7µm or larger. 88 - Apothecia without setae. Spores ellipsoid, 6-9 × 3.5-4µm. 89

88(87) Spores ellipsoid, 9-11 × 7-9µm. Setae up to 600µm long. Trichobolus zukalii - Spores subglobose, 11-12 × 10-11µm. Setae up to 300µm long. Trichobolus sphaerosporus (fig. 11)

89(87) Apothecia and asci large, 170-250µm diam. Thelebolus stercoreus (fig. 12) - Apothecia and asci small, rarely above 80-90µm diam. Thelebolus nanus (fig. 13)

90(77) Asci 16(-24)-spored. Spores not closely aggregated into an imbricated mass, 13-14 × 6µm (8-9 × 4µm). Apothecial hairs rough, subulate. Ascozonus parvisporus - Asci with 32 or more spores. 91

91(90) Asci 32-spored. Spores 16.5-18 × 4.5-5µm (11-12 × 3-3.5µm). Apothecia with a single row of sharp, pointed, roughened hairs. Ascozonus crouanii - Asci more than 32-spored. 92

92(91) Asci 48-spored. Spores spindle-shaped, 12-14.5 × 2.5-4µm. Ascozonus leveillei - Asci more than 48-spored. 93

93(92) Asci 64-spored. 94 - Asci more than 64-spored. 95

94(93) Apothecia with a short base of globose cells, with minutely roughened marginal hairs up to 30 × 8µm. Spores elliptic-fusoid, 12-14 × 3-5µm. Ascozonus woolhopensis (figs 14, 15) - Apothecia sessile, with aseptate smooth hairs. Spores 21 × 7.5µm (13-14 × 4.5-5µm). Ascozonus cunicularis

95(93) Apothecia with a short base of globose cells, with short, irregular hairs. Asci 64-96-spored Spores elliptic-fusoid, 14-14.5 × 5-5.5µm (10-15 × 3.5-4µm). Ascozonus leveillanus - Apothecia sessile, dotted with hairs in connate groups of 2-3. Asci with 128 or more spores. Spores 10 × 5µm (7 × 3.5µm). Ascozonus subhirtus

96(3) Apothecia stalked. 97 - Apothecia not stalked. 98

97(96) Apothecia up to 2mm diam., with a short cylindrical stalk, light brown. Asci 150 × 10µm. Spores hyaline, with 2 oil drops, occasionally 1-septate, 13-15 × 4.5µm. Lanzia cuniculi - Apothecia up to 3mm diam., pale olivaceous to grey, with a long, slender, reddish-brown stalk arising from a sclerotium in the dung. Asci 30-40 × 4-5µm. Spores ellipsoid, grey-brown, 4-4.5 × 2µm. Martininia panamaensis

98(96) Spores 7-11(14) × 1.75-2.75µm. ellipsoid, ellipsoid- fusiform or slightly clavate. Apothecia yellowish brown when fresh, drying darker, up to 1mm diam. Asci 42-60 × 7.5-9µm, pore weakly blue in iodine. Pezizella albula - Spores and asci smaller. 99

99(98) Spores linear, 3-5 × 1µm. Asci 30 × 5µm, cylindrical with a short stipe. Paraphyses not clavate but fused to form an epithecium. Apothecia pale pellucid, 0.5-1mm diam. Orbilia leporina - Spores longer, subulate, curved. 100

100(99) Spores 7-8.5 × 1.2-1.8µm. Asci 36-40 × 3-5µm, gradually tapering to a short base. Paraphyses enlarged to 3µm at apex, covered with brown granules. Apothecia light brown, 0.4-1.mm diam. Orbilia fimicola - Spores 8-10.55 × 0.9-1µm. Asci 30-45 × 3µm, cylindrical-clavate with narrow tapering base and truncate apex. Paraphyses 2µm diam., the tips with a crust-like secretion fusing together to form a shiny epithecium. Apothecia white to yellowish, 180-700µm diam. Orbilia fimicoloides

Key 2. Perithecial, pseudothecial, cleistothecial and gymnothecial fungi