Microglossum tenebrosum

An ascomycete with a fruit body reaching up to 8 cm in height, tongue- or club-shaped with a pointed apex. The head or fertile portion is olive green, shifting to brownish or violaceous-brown tones with age.

It appears in meadows or open areas with mosses, preferably on calcareous soils.

It is a species we often observe during the winter months, forming large groups in a damp, mossy area under Cupressus sempervirens in the municipality of Amurrio (Álava).

Owing to the high complexity of this genus, molecular study was necessary to confirm the identity of this collection.

The photographs correspond to two different finds: one from late January and another from early March, in the aforementioned locality.

We have found no other records of this species in our region, making it very likely a first citation for the Iberian Peninsula.