Phaeosolenia densa

Species occurring on decaying wood of Populus or Robinia, with cup-shaped, tubular or slightly cylindrical cyphelloid basidiomata of minute size (0.3 to 1 mm in diameter), growing in dense caespitose clusters, greyish-brown, with a hirsute exterior.

Subhymenial hyphae thin-walled, interwoven, 2 to 4 µm wide, septate with clamp connections.

External hairs moderately thick-walled, arranged in parallel, with brown intracellular pigment, 40 to 80 µm long, 4 to 7 µm wide, encrusted with coarse crystals that detach readily.

Basidia clavate, 25 to 40 µm long, 4 to 8 µm wide, clamped at the base, 4-spored.

Spores subglobose, ovoid to short ellipsoidal, smooth, hyaline, distinctly thick-walled, pale greyish-yellow under the microscope, 6.5 to 8.5 µm long, 4.5 to 6.5 µm wide, with an almost imperceptible hyaline apiculus at one end, containing small guttules inside, inamyloid in Melzer's reagent.

Herbarium material available: JTP2342/25.