Irish lichens Lichenicolous fungi

Biatoropsis usnearum

Order: Tremellales       Family: Tremellaceae

Species: Biatoropsis usnearum

Lichenicolous fungus.
Photographs on Usnea subfloridana. Glengarriff, Co. Cork, Ireland.

A very variable gall-forming basidiomycete, the basidia pale pink, reddish-brown, dark brown or black. Basidiospores are subglobose to ellipsoid with 1-3 transverse septa, 4.5-8 × 4-7.7 µm. The hyaline conidia are in rows, cells 3-5 × 2-3.5 µm.

Parasitic on thalli of Usnea species, including U. flavocardia, U. florida and U. subfloridana, U. fragilescens and U. glabrescens.

Similar: Biatoropsis hafellneri has been recorded on U. cornuta.


Biatoropsis usnearum

Biatoropsis usnearum

Biatoropsis usnearum

Biatoropsis usnearum
Biatoropsis usnearum on Usnea. January 2010

All images used are copyright. Please contact me if you find errors.