Tubifera vanderheuliae

Tubifera vanderheuliae

Description. Pseudoaethalia solitary or in small groups, 4 -15 mm long, 3 - 13 mm wide, 2 - 7 mm total height, pulvinate, hemispherical or bouquet-shape, round or short ovoid, ochre-brown to rust-brown, the surface formed by the free tips of the sporothecae.

Sporothecae cylindrical, rounded in cross section, more or less straight, directed radially from the base to the external surface of the fructification, 0.7 mm diam. at the apex, 0.5 mm diam. at the base. Tips of sporothecae of uniform diam., not accreted, hemispherical, with blunt apices, dehisces by the hemispherical lid that is separated along the preformed furrow .

Hypothallus moderately developed, spongy, honeyyellow when fresh, reddish brown when mature P

Peridium membranous, semitransparent, light brown in reflected light, shiny, weakly iridescent with golden, blue and purplish tints. The inconspicuous, somewhat irregular lids 0.3–0.5 mm diam., with somewhat darker and more iridescent peridium, are present on the tips of sporothecea. Internal surface of peridium ornamented with numerous wavy folds.

Spores in mass rust-brown sandy-brown when fresh, pale brownish in transmitted light, globose, 7–10μm diam., banded-reticulate, with 7–9 meshes across the diameter, the germination area with incomplete reticulation occupies almost the half of the spore surface.

Immature fruiting bodies pale yellow creamy  buff  later turning dark-brown. Plasmodium not known.

Habit, habitat and distribution. Tasmania and southeastern Australia, in Eucalyptus forests, on strongly decomposed wood covered with bryophytes.

Comments. This species possesses the largest spores known so far for the genus Tubifera resembles T. corymbosa by its small bouquet-shaped pseudoaethalia and the iridescent lids of the sporothecal tips, but differs from the latter by lacking the spherical sporothecae at the base of the fruiting body.