Anthracobia melaloma

A small pyrophilous ascomycete fruiting in large clusters in burned areas, usually shortly after a fire occurs. In our experience, the genus Anthracobia is typically the first pioneer fungus to appear in such habitats, often within days or weeks.

This genus includes several macroscopically indistinguishable species requiring detailed microscopic analysis for reliable determination. Among similarly colored taxa, Anthracobia melaloma is the most common, and we have had the opportunity to study it repeatedly.

It can fruit at any time of year under favorable meteorological conditions, generally fruiting more abundantly the more recent the burn.

The microscopic study presented here is based on a collection made in February in a burned forest of Eucalyptus globulus in the municipality of Berango (Bizkaia), complemented with macroscopic photographs from collections in Erandio, Orduña, and Zeanuri, also in Biscayan territory.