Otidea formicarum

Species of alpine environments associated with anthills (hence the specific epithet formicarum), with ear-shaped ascomata up to 2 cm in diameter and 2.2 cm tall, ochraceous-brown to reddish-brown, with a short stipe and a pale yellowish-ochre basal tomentum.

Medullary excipulum of textura intricata, with hyaline hyphae or bearing faint ochraceous intracellular pigment, thin to moderately thick-walled, with occasional swellings, 4–11 µm wide.

Ectal excipulum of thin-walled textura angularis containing pale yellow intracellular pigment, cells measuring 18–40 µm long by 11–25 µm wide.

Asci cylindrical, 8-spored, operculate, uniseriate, measuring 170–230 µm long by 10–13 µm wide, inamyloid in Melzer's reagent.

Paraphyses filiform with curved to hooked apices, 3–4 µm wide, containing abundant small, refractive greenish-yellow guttules inside.

Ascospores ellipsoidal, smooth, hyaline, moderately thick-walled, measuring 9.5–11.5 µm long by 5.5–7 µm wide, containing two large lipid guttules inside.