Ascocoryne sarcoides (Jacq.) J.W. Groves & D.E. Wilson
(Purple Jellydisc)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesAscocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
GenusAscocoryne (a genus of discomycetes)
FamilyHELOTIACEAE (a family of discomycetes)
OrderHELOTIALES (an order of discomycetes and lichens)
SubclassLEOTIOMYCETIDAE (powdery mildews)
ClassLEOTIOMYCETES (a class of fungi)
SubphylumPEZIZOMYCOTINA (a subphylum of ascomycetes)
PhylumASCOMYCOTA (spore shooters, ascomycete)
KingdomFUNGI (true fungi)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc) :
1: Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
7 Nov 2014 OSGR: SU20 50° 50’ N, 1° 40’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
Conidial stage, on Beech trunk
Image 1: Conidial stateImage 2: Conidial state (2)Image 3: Conidial state - close-up - enlargedImage 4: Conidial state - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 5: Conidial state - close-up - enlarged (3)Image 6: Conidia - magnifiedImage 7: Conidiophores - magnified
2: Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
20 Oct 2001 OSGR: SU67 51° 30’ N, 1° 0’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
on fallen Beech log
Image 1: ApotheciaImage 2: Apothecia (2)Image 3: Imperfect stageImage 4: Imperfect stage and apotheciaImage 5: Imperfect stage and apothecia (2)
3: Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
3 Nov 1998 OSGR: SU36 51° 20’ N, 1° 30’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
on fallen decorticated ?willow
Image 1: ApotheciaImage 2: Apothecia - side viewImage 3: Imperfect (left) and perfect (right) stagesImage 4: Imperfect stageImage 5: AsciImage 6: Excipular hyphaeImage 7: Paraphyses among asciImage 8: ParaphysisImage 9: Spores
4: Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
7 Dec 1975 OSGR: SU93 51° 0’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: West Sussex (VC 13) England
on Oak
Image 1: Apothecium - close-up
5: Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
2 Nov 1975 OSGR: SU93 51° 0’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: West Sussex (VC 13) England
on dead Beech bough
Image 1: ApotheciaImage 2: Conidial stage

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource

Phialophora-jike Anamorph

Gams, W. Phialophora and some similar morphologically little-differentiated anamorphs of divergent ascomycetes White, J.F.Jr., Sullivan, R., Moy, M., Patel, R. & Duncan, R. An overview of problems in the classification of plant-parasitic Clavicipitaceae, 11pp, Molecules, morphology and classification: Towards monophyletic genera in the Ascomycetes

Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 16 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Ascocoryne sarcoides (Purple Jellydisc)

A very common reddish-purple discomycete of jelly-like consistency found on fallen logs, especially Beech (Fagus). It is generally accompanied by the conidial stage which is of similar colour and consistency, but forms dense clusters of small lumps rather than discs.

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