Neottiella vivida (Nyl.) Dennis

Image location: Mazomanie Barrens State Natural Area, Wisconsin, USA

Collector’s_Name: Alden C. Dirks Habitat: Sandy oak savanna Substrate: Sandy soil among mosses Macroscopic_Features: Small bright orange apothecia, first closed and goblet shaped then opening in maturity to cup shaped and then saucer shaped with a crenate (scalloped) margin; largest apothecia 8 mm in diameter; underside paler orange and covered with downy hairs, not so evident when the fungus is moist but easily visible as it begins to dry; stipe present or absent, usually buried in the substrate. Microscopic_Features: Ellipsoid to cylindrical spores with a lateral depression, length (21.8) 22.7-25.0 (25.5) µm, width (12.1) 13.1-14.6 (15.0) µm, Q ratio (1.6) 1.6-1.8 (1.9); ornamented with a continuous, hyaline reticulum; spores contain a single large guttule that constitutes almost the entire spore volume; 8 spores per ascus, obliquely oriented and overlapping. Other: This species is a parasite of bryophytes and is sometimes visible from the surface but other times is hidden in the moss. Mazomanie Oak Barrens SNA is burned occasionally to maintain an oak savanna ecosystem. Beug, Bessette, and Bessette note that this species is common but seldom noticed. At this site, it was only present in one location within a radius of about 4 feet and could not be found anywhere else.

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