Mniaecia nivea (P. Crouan & H. Crouan) Boud.
Hist. Class. Discom. Eur.: 99, 1907. Basionym: Helotium niveum P. Crouan & H. Crouan - Florule Finistère: 47, 1867.
Synonyms:
Distribution:
Description: Thallus immersed in leaflets of liverworts, not lichenized and not apparent. Apothecia rounded, sessile, ivory white, sometimes with a pinkish hue, 0.5-0.6 mm across, usually clustered, with a flat to finally slightly convex disc, without a distinct margin. Proper exciple 75-125 μm wide, of branched hyphae forming a textura intricata; epithecium colourless, N-; hymenium colourless, 100-150(-180) μm high, I-, K/I-; paraphyses longer than the asci, c. 2.5 μm thick, simple or forked in upper part, the apical cells slightly wider; hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical-clavate, with a thick, non-amyloid apical dome containing a cylindrical tube, (106-)125(-138) x (12.5-)14.5(.16) μm. Ascospores 1-celled, hyaline, ellipsoid to pyriform, (16-)18.5(-20) x (7.5-)8.5(-10) μm, filled with many oil droplets, without a distinct perispore, biseriately arranged in the asci. Photobiont absent. Spot tests: all negative. Chemistry: without lichen substances.Note: this endophytic, easily overlooked fungus which is often collected by lichenologists is confined to small liverworts such as Calypogeia, Diplophyllum and Blepharostoma growing in humid situations over siliceous substrata. It is known from a few localities in Western and Central Europe, including Austria. For further details see De Sloover (2001). To be looked for in Italy.
Growth form: Fungus
Substrata: soil, terricolous mosses, and plant debris
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual
Predictive model
Curtis Randall Björk – CC BY-SA 4.0
British Columbia, Clearwater Valley Date: 2010-10-09 Over liverwort on compact soil of seldom used trail, open conifer-deciduous forest, near waterfall sprayzone
Growth form: Fungus
Substrata: soil, terricolous mosses, and plant debris
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual
Predictive model
