I am hoping for some advice about a discomycete I found on a moorland hill in Lancashire, England at c. 450m, on peat amongst bryophytes - mainly Ceratodon purpureus. I am out of my depth here because I usually study lichens, but I have considered Bryoscyphus, Discinella, Octospora and Ombrophila before finding myself at Roseodiscus formosus.

A rough description:
Apothecia pale pink, 2-5mm diameter with ± flat disc, tapering to a whitish stipe (overall height 3-4mm). Paraphyses c. 2µm wide, septate, not expanded toward their apices, sparsely branched. Asci c. 8µm wide (in KOH), 8-spored, with hemiamyloid apical ring (orange in IKI before treatment with KOH, blue after KOH), with croziers. Ascospores 0-1 septate, 11-18 x 3-4µm (in water), with lipid droplets.

I think my only reservation is that the paraphyses in water appear minutely granular, at least in the living state, but the contents more or less clear in KOH, apart from what looks like an occasional lipid droplet. Any words of wisdom will be gratefully received.

Best wishes
Nigel

Hans-Otto Baral, 27-02-2021 20:19

Re : Roseodiscus ?

Hi Nigel

clearly R. formosus in my opinion. In your pics I cannot seen the paraphysis contents, are you sure you saw the granules in living ones?

Zotto

DirkW, 27-02-2021 22:16

Re : Roseodiscus ?

hi nigel, haven't  seen it for a long time. is it the first record in britain? did you recognise our paper on this species? its online. 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278728929_Roseodiscus_formosus_spec_nov_-_ein_bryophiler_Pionier_mit_falschem_Namen

best regards

dirk

Hans-Otto Baral, 28-02-2021 09:51

Re : Roseodiscus ?

It seems to me that these paraphyses are also dead, like the ascus which is surely dead.

I assume the first record listed there was that by Steven J. Heathcote in Messingham Heath, 21.II.2020. I have images in my folder which Carol Hobart forwarded to me, she made the micros, Steven the field photo. Regrettably the description there is not from this find but a copy of our paper.

Hans-Otto Baral, 28-02-2021 11:36

Re : Roseodiscus ?

A frequent mistake. Of course, KOH kills cells, and also IKI, though tardily. But also pressure on the slide. best is trying sections because then it is easiest to avoid any pressure.