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Diderma asteroides

Description

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Genus Diderma

Sporocarpous, plasmodiocarpous or occasionally pseudo-aethaloid. Peridium with granular lime, typically double , but can be single or triple. In the latter case, crystalline lime may be present in the middle layer. Columella usually conspicuous but sometimes reduced to a thickened base . Capillitium lime-free, consisting of branched and anastomosed threads.

Physical Description

Species Diderma asteroides

Sporocarps gregarious , sessile or sub-stipitate. Sporothecae subglobose or slightly prolate , often somewhat pointed above or pulvinate , c. 0.5 mm diam., sometimes slightly angular, shining, dark red-brown, sometimes with small pits at the top and/or very fine, pale longitudinal stripes . Hypothallus either thick and limy or inconspicuous when lime-free. Stalk , if present, white or ochraceous or slightly reddish, short, stout, conical , wrinkled, limy and dull . Peridium persistent , triple, the outer layer red-brown, usually appressed to the thick, white, calcareous, non-crystalline middle layer, dehiscing together in a stellate manner, the inner layer thin, transparent, membranous, occasionally appressed to the middle layer. Dehiscence into pointed, stellate, revolute lobes . Columella hollow, calcareous, ± hemispherical or conical. Capillitium radiating, rather weakly connected at both ends, consisting of colourless or pale tubules, 0.5-1 µm diam., which are weakly dichotomous, sometimes with a few anastomoses forming a large-meshed net , often with meshes only near the periphery. Spore-mass dark purple-brown. Spores 10-12(-14) µm diam., brown-violet and paler on one side, verruculose , the warts often arranged in a highly irregular pattern , 12-14 µm diam. Plasmodium yellow. Nivicole. G. Moreno et al 2003 propose the synonymy with D. nigrum with the following amendments to the diagnosis of D. asteroides: Sporocarps scattered to loosely clustered, sessile, hemispherical to pulvinate, seated on a broad base , 1-2 mm diam., sometimes subplasmodiocarpous and then up to 3 mm long, dark brown to black. Hypothallus inconspicuous. Columella either absent or reduced to a pale, calcareous basal mound. Capillitial threads dark brown except at the hyaline extremities, sometimes spinose from included lime.

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,839 meters (0 to 9,314 feet).Mean = 643.850 meters (2,112.369 feet), Standard Deviation = 898.510 based on 53 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Diderma asteroides (Lister & G. Lister) G. Lister 1911

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Kirk P.M. , 14-Sep-2005

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Diderma

There are approximately 157 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

D. acanthosporum · D. acuminatum · D. albescens · D. alexopouli · D. alpinospumarioides · D. alpinum · D. alpinum f. microcarpum · D. antarcticola · D. antarcticum · D. areolatum · D. asteroides · D. atrovirens · D. aurantiacum · D. badhamioides · D. badhamiopsis · D. botryosum · D. brooksii · D. brunneobasale · D. brunneobasalis · D. carmichaelianum · D. carneum · D. chondrioderma · D. cinereum · D. cingulatum · D. cingulatum var. rimosum · D. cingulatum var. rimosum f. pallidosporum · D. circumdissilens · D. circumscissile · D. compactum · D. complanatum · D. concavum · D. concinnum · D. contortum · D. cor-rubrum · D. corrugatum · D. crassipes · D. cribrosum · D. cristatosporum · D. crustaceum · D. cubense · D. cyanescens · D. darjeelingense · D. deplanatum · D. diadematum · D. donkii · D. donkii var. donkii · D. donkii var. echinosporum · D. effusum · D. effusum var. effusum · D. effusum var. microsporum · D. effusum var. pachytrichon · D. endoleuca · D. evelinae · D. fallax · D. flavidum · D. floriforme · D. fragile · D. geasterodes · D. gigantocolumellae · D. globosum · D. globosum var. europaeum · D. globosum var. globosum · D. globosum var. roseum · D. gracile · D. gracilis · D. granulatum · D. hemisphaericum · D. hookeri · D. imperiale · D. imperialis · D. indicum · D. laciniatum · D. lenticulare · D. lepidotum · D. libertianum · D. liceoides · D. lohgadense · D. lucidum · D. lyalii · D. lyallii · D. macrosporum · D. maculatum · D. marieae · D. meyerae · D. microcarpum · D. microsporum · D. miniatum · D. minutum · D. montanum · D. montanum var. album · D. montanum var. montanum · D. muscicola · D. mussooriense · D. neesii · D. nigripes · D. nigrum · D. niveum · D. niveum var. ferrugineum · D. oblongum · D. ochraceum

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 02, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-10-07