5 March 2011 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. Fruiting Body Cup shaped, expanding with age, inner surface smooth, orange, outer surface orange, becoming dark blue to grey with age, about 0.5 cm to 4 cm across Flesh Brittle, orange Smell Indistinct Taste Unknown Season Spring Distribution Very rare Habitat On soil and woody debris. In Surrey this species appears to favour steep sided moss covered banks at the side of roads. According to various source the species is associated with Abies. However, the specimens shown were growing near oak, beech and holly. Spore Print White Microscopic Features Spores spherical, smooth (5-7) µm. Asci 8 spored, cylindrical, base sometimes branched. Paraphyses thin, septate, sometimes branched. Edibility Unknown Notes Although this species is very rarely recorded, I made collections at three separate sites in one weekend, suggesting that it may be far from rare 
6 March 2011 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
6 March 2011 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. 
Asci viewed with a x40 objective. 5 March 2011 Surrey. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin. |