Arcyria cinerea

Arcyria cinerea

Cosmopolitan, among the most common species globally. This species is particularly common in moist chamber cultures. The cylindrical white or ashy-grey sporangia are easily identifiable and are found on many substrates, including decaying wood, leaf litter, bark, and dung.

There are often 2 forms found, both digitate sporocarps and free ones.

The digitate form intermixed with free one is frequently found in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.

Sporocysts cylindrical, ovoid or spherical, mostly gregarious,  characterized by ellipsoid sporothecae 2-4 mm in length.

Hypothallus and stalk filled with spore-like cells he spore-like cells in the stalk are smaller than those in other species of Arcyria being approx. 13-17 µm diam.

Peridium mostly evanescent, the base persistent  as a saucer to cup-shaped calyculus, mostly with a strikingly ornamented inner side.

Capillitium ornamented with spines, cogs and half  rings often placed in a loose spiral, or sometimes with a spiral  ornamentation pattern.

Spores spherical, mostly 7-10 µm, almost  smooth with some scattered warts.