Alwisia lloydiae

Alwisia lloydiae is characterized by  ovate sporothecae with mostly free stalks, this species possesses a tubular capillitium that suggests an affinity with A. bombarda. The capillitium is ornamented with globular warts, and this feature separates it from all other members of this genus.

Sporocarps stalked, up to 2.5–5.0 mm tall, occurring in colonies up to 30 cm 35 cm .

Hypothallus inconspicuous.

Stalks erect, ochraceous brown to dark rust-brown in the upper portion, 1.5–3.5 mm long, thin, sinuous,  free, interlaced or partially fused with one another, forming an irregular tuft with free sporothecae at the top. Individual stalks may fuse and then separate again several times throughout its length. Sporothecae 1.4mm long, 1-2mm diam, more or less constant in size, egg-shaped to – globose dehiscent in the upper portion, leaving a sharply delimited cup mostly free but sometimes weakly attached to one another at the widest portions.

Peridium bipartite, with the upper two-thirds of the sporotheca membranous, smooth, lusterless, fragile, beige, almost hyaline in transmitted light, ornamented with occasional hyaline warts, after dehiscence, the upper portion of the peridium forms a series of polygonal splinters, connected on the inside to the capillitial threads. The lower one-third of the peridium is membranous, somewhat plicate, shining, more or less flexible, dark brown with reddish and yellowish tints, light reddish ocher in transmitted light ornamented with warts and radial folds.

Capillitium consisting of a dense tuft of parallel threads, attached to the peridium both at the base and at the top of the sporotheca. After dehiscence, the capillitium detaches from the upper portion of the peridium and becomes visible as a whisk broomlike cluster, extending outward from the peridial cup. The capillitial tubules are straight, rigid, hollow, simple or sparsely branched, 0.9–3.5 mm long, 1.2 - 1.6 mm diam, with multiple swellings and contractions throughout their length brown in reflected light, rust-brown in transmitted light, most threads are ornamented with rounded hyaline warts.

Spores grayish ochraceous in mass, almost hyaline in transmitted light, 6.0– 7.5µm diam, banded-reticulate.

Plasmodium pale yellow.

Habitat  Wet decayed wood and litter, often covered by bryophytes.

The well developed tubular capillitium is characteristic only for A. lloydiae and A. bombarda, however the differences in their shape, size and ornamentation are substantial.