Mycocalicium subtile
≡Calicium subtile Pers., Tent. Disp. Meth. Fungorum Suppl.: 60 (1797).
Description : Thallus saprophytic. Apothecia black, 0.4–0.8 mm high, stalk black, shining or dull. Capitulum obconical to lenticular, 0.16–0.32 mm diam. Stalk 0.05–0.12 mm diam., of periclinally arranged, sparsely intertwined and branched, dark-brown to dark greenish brown hyphae, 2 μm diam. Exciple poorly to very well developed, 15–50 μm thick; when thin comprising a few layers of thin, parallel, sclerotised hyphae; when thicker of intricately intertwined, pale to slightly brownish hyphae with strongly swollen walls, or of rows of pale to slightly brownish, short cylindrical cells with only slightly thickened walls. Hypothecium 60–90 μm thick, dark greenish brown to dark-brown. Hymenium 50–85 μm tall. Stalk K− or K+ slightly reddish brown. Asci cylindrical, 30–55 × 3.5–4.5 μm, apex uniformly thickened, without a canal. Ascospores dark-brown, allantoid to subellipsoidal, 5.5–9 × 3.5–5 μm, surface smooth or minutely ornamented.
N: Northland (Puketi) to Wellington (Ohakune). S: Nelson (Pelorus Bridge) to Southland (Pourakino Valley). On dry lignum in open situations; on lignum of silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii) also lignum of Metrosideros, s.l. to 1000 m. Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, North, Central and South America, Taiwan, Japan and Australia (Tibell 1987, 1996, 1999c; Sparrius et al. 2002a; Nimis & Martellos 2003; Tibell & Thor 2003; Titov et al. 2004).
Cosmopolitan
Illustrations : Tibell (1987: 190, fig. 143; 191, fig. 144A–G; 1990: 233, figs 40–48; 234, figs 49–51; 235, figs 52–57; 236, figs 58–66; 237, figs 67–71; 239, figs 72–77; 1996b: 49, fig. 32D; 1999b: 89); Goward (1999: 91, fig. 23B, 92, fig. 32B; 193); Boqueras (2000: 276, fig. 43).
Mycocalicium subtile is characterised by: the lignicolous habit; the dark-greenish to brownish colour of the stalk tissue, and structure of the exciple. An extremely variable species.
