Seifert, K. A., Kendrick, W. B. & Murase, G. (1983). A key to hyphomycetes on dung. University of Waterloo Biology Series No. 27.
Webster, J. (1970). Coprophilous Fungi. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 54, 161-180.
Key 1. Ascomycota
| 1 | Ascoma either globose to flask shaped, usually with an easily observable pore or neck (perithecium or pseudothecium, figs [16], [18], [19], [22], [27], [30], [32], [34]-[37]), or discoid (apothecium, figs [1], [3], [4], [7], [11]-[14]). Spores usually 8 in each ascus (less frequently 4, 16, 32, 64, 128 etc.). Asci ellipsoid to cylindrical, borne in a distinct hymenium, thus appearing in fascicles or distinct groups when the fruit body is squashed. | [2] |
| - | Ascoma globose to subglobose, lacking a definite pore or neck (cleistothecium or gymnothecium, figs [38], [39], [46]). Asci globose to subglobose, 8-spored, not in a distinct hymenium, appearing quite free when the fruit body is squashed. | |
| [Key 2, 148] (p. 45) | ||
| 2([1]) | Ascoma a perithecium or pseudothecium, usually dark in some part, not opening to a disc but remaining globose or flask shaped. Asci unitunicate, not operculate but often with an apical pore, which may stain blue in iodine, or bitunicate. | |
| [Key 2, 1] (p. 24) | ||
| - | Ascoma an apothecium, white or lightly coloured, soft fleshed, opening out to a disc or cushion shape when mature. Asci unitunicate. | [3] |
| 3([2]) | Asci opening by an operculum ([fig. 8]), a bilabiate vertical split down to a subapical ring of thickening ([fig. 15]), or apparently just bursting. | [4] |
| - | Asci inoperculate, with an apical pore. | [96] |
| 4([3]) | Spores 8 (occasionally 4) in an ascus, colourless, purple or brown. | [5] |
| - | Spores more than 8 in an ascus, colourless. | [77] |
| 5([4]) | Spores remaining colourless. | [6] |
| - | Spores purple or brown at maturity. | [39] |
| 6([5]) | Apothecia with obvious hairs. | [7] |
| - | Apothecia without obvious hairs (microscopic hairs up to 50µm long may be present). | [14] |
| 7([6]) | Hairs brown. Apothecia orange, red orange or yellow orange | |
| (Cheilymenia, [fig. 1]) [8] | ||
| - | Hairs colourless. Apothecia colourless or pinkish. | |
| (Lasiobolus, [fig. 3]) [12] | ||
| 8([7]) | Apothecia with stellate hairs. Spores 14-20 × 8-11µm. | |
| Cheilymenia stercorea (figs [1], [2]) | ||
| - | Apothecia without stellate hairs. | [9] |
| 9([8]) | Spores 14.5-18 × 8-9.5µm. Asci 10-13µm diam. Apothecia 2mm diam. or more. | |
| Cheilymenia coprinaria | ||
| - | Spores larger, 17 × 10µm or more. | [10] |
| 10([9]) | Apothecia reddish orange, up to 1mm diam., marginal hairs rooting, wall 2-4µm thick. Spores 21-26 × 10-13.8µm. | |
| Cheilymenia fimicola | ||
| - | Apothecia pale orange yellow, marginal hairs superficial, wall up to 2µm thick. | [11] |
| 11([10]) | Asci up to 22µm diam. Spores 17-27 × 10-14.5µm. | |
| Cheilymenia pulcherrima | ||
| - | Asci wider, 25µm diam. or more. Spores 23-26.5 × 13-16.5µm. | |
| Cheilymenia raripila | ||
Fig. 1. Cheilymenia stercorea, apothecium.
Fig. 2. C. stercorea, stellate and rooted hairs.
Fig. 3. Lasiobolus ciliatus, apothecium.
Fig. 4. Iodophanus carneus, apothecium and spore.
| 12([7]) | Hairs 600µm or longer. Spores 19-23 × 7-10µm. | |||
| Lasiobolus macrotrichus | ||||
| - | Hairs shorter, up to 600µm. | [13] | ||
| 13([12]) | Asci clavate, 20µm diam. or wider. Spores 19-22 × 10.5-13.5µm. | |||
| Lasiobolus cuniculi | ||||
| - | Asci cylindrical, up to 20µm diam. Spores 18-22.5 × 9.5-11.5µm. | |||
| Lasiobolus ciliatus ([fig. 3]) | ||||
| 14([6]) | Asci blue in iodine solution. | [15] | ||
| - | Asci not blue in iodine. | [24] | ||
| 15([14]) | Spores large, 30-42 × 15-18µm, warted, ellipsoid with acute apices. | |||
| Thecotheus cinereus | ||||
| - | Spores smaller, smooth or only finely ornamented | [16] | ||
| 16([15]) |
| |||
| - | Apothecia pale, up to 4mm diam. Asci protruding from hymenium when ripe. | [17] | ||
| 17([16]) | Apothecia white to pink, up to 2mm diam. Spores finely verruculose, 18-25 × 8-14µm. | |||
| Iodophanus carneus ([fig. 4]) | ||||
| - | Apothecia pale, variously coloured when fresh, but drying darker. Spores smooth. | |||
| (Thecotheus) [18] | ||||
| 18([17]) | Spores apiculate at each end, smooth. | [19] | ||
| - |
| |||
| 19([18]) | Spores with a collar at the base of the apiculus. | [20] | ||
| - | Spores without a collar at the base of the apiculus, 16-21 × 8-12µm. | |||
| Thecotheus apiculatus | ||||
| 20([19]) | Apothecia white. Spores 20-22 × 10-12µm, apiculus 4-6µm diam. | |||
| Thecotheus perplexans | ||||
| - | Apothecia yellowish. Spores 12-15 × 7.5-9µm, apiculus 2.5-3.5µm diam. | |||
| Thecotheus africanus | ||||
| 21([16]) | Spores smooth, without guttules. | [22] | ||
| - | Spores verruculose or spinulose, 15-18 × 8-9µm, with 1 guttule. Paraphyses with clavate apices, with brown contents. Apothecia asymmetrical, extended on one side. | |||
| Peziza pleurota | ||||
| 22([21]) | Spores 19-24 × 10.5-14µm. Apothecia yellowish brown, up to 10cm diam. | |||
| Peziza vesiculosa | ||||
| - | Spores up to 10µm wide. | [23] | ||
| 23([22]) | Apothecia ca 1cm diam., umber with a paler margin. Spores 15-22 × 9-10µm. | |||
| Peziza bovina | ||||
| - | Apothecia up to 2cm diam., pale brown. Spores 13-16 × 7-9µm. | |||
| Peziza fimeti | ||||
| 24([14]) | Apothecia robust, up to 4mm diam., orange or with brownish or purple tints. | [25] | ||
| - | Apothecia smaller, rarely more than 1mm, pale, yellowish green, orange, grey or chestnut. | [32] | ||
| 25([24]) | Apothecia orange or red. | [26] | ||
| - |
| |||
| 26([25]) | Apothecia crowded, 1-3mm diam., orange, with a granular surface. Asci up to 190 × 15µm. Spores 15-18.5 × 7-9.5µm. Paraphyses strongly clavate to apex up to 14µm diam, filled with orange granules. | |||
| Coprobia granulata | ||||
| - | Apothecia discrete, 1-2mm diam., orange or red. Asci 240 × 10-12µm. Spores 12-15 × 7-8µm. Paraphyses yellow, only slightly swollen from 2µm to 3-4µm at apex. | |||
| Ascophanus bresadolae | ||||
| 27([25]) |
| |||
| - | Spores larger. | [28] | ||
| 28([27]) |
| |||
| - | Spores shorter. | [29] | ||
| 29([28]) |
| |||
| - | Spores 13-17 × 7-11µm. | [30] | ||
| 30([29]) | Disc punctate with asci. Paraphysis tips swollen up to 3-5µm. Spores 14.5-16 × 9.5-11µm. | |||
| Fimaria leporum | ||||
| - | Disc not punctate with asci. Paraphysis tips not or only slightly swollen. | [31] | ||
| 31([30]) | Apothecia pale yellowish. Spores 13-15.5 × 7.5-8.5µm. | |||
| Fimaria theioleuca | ||||
| - | Apothecia chestnut/purplish brown. Spores 14-17 × 7-8.5µm. | |||
| Fimaria cervaria | ||||
| 32([24]) | Spores less than 10µm long. | [33] |
| - | Spores mostly longer than 10µm. | [36] |
| 33([32]) | Paraphyses markedly capitate to 5-6µm, with yellowish green contents. Apothecia dull at first, yellowish at maturity. Spores 7-10 × 2-4.5µm. | |
| Thelebolus microsporus ([fig. 5]) | ||
| - | Paraphyses only slightly inflated above, without coloured contents. Apothecia whitish or grey. | [34] |
| 34([33]) | Spores 5-7 × 3-4µm. Asci 38-42 × 6-7µm. Apothecia smoky grey, 0.3-0.4mm diam. | |
| Ascophanus cinerellus | ||
| - | Spores larger. Apothecia pale, white or yellowish. | [35] |
| 35([34]) | Apothecia up to 1.2mm diam. Asci short stalked, 40-55 × 8-12µm. Spores 7.5-9 × 4.5-5.5µm. | |
| Coprotus glaucellus | ||
| - | Apothecia 0.2-0.5mm diam. Asci attenuate below, 65-85 × 10-15µm. Spores 8-10 × 5-6.5µm. | |
| Coprotus lacteus | ||
| 36([32]) | Apothecia chestnut brown up to 1mm diam. Asci 160 × 13µm. Spores 13-16 x 8-11µm. Paraphyses forked, with swollen tips. | |
| Ascophanus misturae | ||
| - | Apothecia lighter coloured. Asci less than 150µm long. | [37] |
| 37([36]) | Spores 14-18 × 9-11µm. Apothecia pale yellow/orange, up to 1.5mm diam. Asci cylindrical, 110-150 × 12-15µm. Paraphyses yellowish, slightly inflated to 4-5µm at apices. | |
| Coprotus ochraceus | ||
| - | Spores less than 15µm long. Apothecia up to 0.6mm diam. Asci less than 100µm long. | [38] |