Diderma crustaceum

Diderma crustaceum

Fructification formed of hundreds of sporocarps, closely gregarious; sporocarps sessile, subglobose, usually distorted by mutual pressure, 0.3-0.9 mm diam., white.

Peridium clearly double; outer layer thick, smooth, remote from the inner layer, disintegrating before the latter, white inner layer closely applied to the spore mass, membranous, with scattered lime granules, cinereous.   Peridium outer layer composed of lime granules of a few r-m diam., the latter sometimes forming small irregular aggregates; inner layer colourless to pale yellow, at the sporocarp basis reddish brown, veined and with many impressions of lime granules.

Hypothallus very conspicuous, profusely developed; heavy lime incrustation always masking the reddish brown colour.

Columnella small, broadly convex or depressed globose, often lacking, whitish.

Capillitium dark, forming an irregular or fragmentary network; threads intensively branched and interconnected, locally with membranous expansions, dark brown.

Spores dark brown in mass. Spores circular 12.0-12.6 um diam. dark greyish brown to purplish brown, paler on one side, densely spinulose.