Spathularia

Spathularia
Spathularia flavida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Leotiomycetes
Order:	Helotiales
Family:	Cudoniaceae
Genus:	Spathularia Pers. (1794)
Type species
Spathularia flavida Pers. (1797)
Species
Spathularia flavida Spathularia neesii Spathularia rufa

Spathularia is a genus of fungi in the Cudoniaceae family. The members of the genus are found in coniferous forests around the bases of conifers or near rotting logs.

Spathularia flavida

Spathularia flavida, like other members of the Cudoniaceae family, is distinguished by having long, needle-like spores. A common name for Spathularia flavida is yellow Earth tongue. The spores are tightly packed side by side in the asci. The fruit body of S. flavida is a light yellowish-brown color and rarely of a brown color. The stem grows up to about eight centimeters in length and one centimeter in girth. and the flattened head grows on the sides of the stem. It has a fairly smooth head and stem and has no odor.^[1] Several specimens were recovered in two expeditions to Sichuan Province, China, in 1997 and 1998.^[2] The habitat ranges across continents, mainly the coniferous forests of the United States and Europe. Where it can be found near the bases of coniferous trees in a ring shaped cluster, however sightings are rare and infrequent at best.^[3]

Spathularia neesii

Spathularia neesii is very similar to S. flavida, it is roughly the same size and shape; up to 8 centimeters in length and 1 centimeter in stem width. Their colors are very similar also, both are of a pale yellow but S. neesii tends to have a pale brown, tan, color, unlike the yellow of S. flavida. When dried both specimens look identical and is almost impossible to tell a difference with the naked eye. The distinguishing feature of S. neesii is the spores are 60 to 80 mic. long, around 20 mic. longer than that of S. flavida.^[4]

Spathularia rufa

References