New findings of Stamnaria sp. on Equisetum hyemale

I wanted to add the following explanation to this https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/40254088

As it got quite long, i present it here, so anyone who is interested may read and discuss about.
This is as well starting my project concerning the ascomycete genus https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/366203-Stamnaria which still needs to be created.

@gennadiy @julia_shner @jameskm @radekwalkowiak

I may not know if this parasitic fungus here does represent https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/366211-Stamnaria-americana without proving characters of sporangia, so named asci, and spores thoroughly.
I do not know of any record, respectively collection of that species from Russia up to day, and prior identifications need revision in any case.

Likewise fungi inhabiting Equisetum hyemale may as well belong to, regrettably still not validly published, "Stamnaria laetissima (Cesati) Gruber [me]" comb. ined.
Basing name is Peziza laetissima Cesati (1846) in G. L. Rabenhorst, Herbarium Vivum Mycologicum no. 1024, collected in South Tyrol, Italy on Equisetum ramosissimum.

S. laetissima got apparently a wide range, inhabiting different species of Equisetum subgenus Hippochaete. These fungi do look quite the same as with S. americana, but do differ in amyloid, J+ staining structure at ascus apex, sizes and Q of ascospores, and main generative fruiting period.

I differed between the nominative type, proved to inhabit Equisetum ramosissimum [+ subsp. debile?], E. hyemale subsp. hyemale [+ subsp. affine ?] and E. laevigatum in North America, and "Stamnaria laetissima (Ces.) subsp. tenuispora".

According to my investigations, the nominative "subsp. laetissima" was distributed by several exsiccata, which i do not cite here, but may share details in case wished, just dare to ask for. Links following separately.
For sure i may not exclude there was further infraspecific or even specific differentiation.

The latter "subsp. tenuispora", characterised by clearly narrower ascospores, was collected mainly in NE Europe, just once in E England, near Scarborough, coll. G. E. Massee, all found on E. hyemale.
I reidentified collections from southern Finland, F. de Thümen, Mycotheca Universalis no. 125; and Russia, Karelia, H. Roivainen, Mycotheca Fennica no. 878; near Kingisepp, coll. V. Melnik. Links following separately.

Considering native ranges as known up to day by me, this report here could as well represent S. laetissima, as with several other specifically unidentified, new findings on host Equisetum hyemale in Russia, reported at iNaturalist.
Thus i needed to prove specific characters of Asci and spores to clear identity of all new findings.

Please do ask me in case of interest and questions about.

Erwin Gruber

Posted on 22 March, 2020 09:03 by erwin_pteridophilos