Public Note:
[GC] Pilei annual, scattered, membranous, brittle, 0.2-1 mm. diameter, attached by a brief narrow base, at first subglobose becoming pezizoid; exterior white, covered with dense tomentum of fine hairs curved over the hymenium, 5-6 µ diameter, wall 1 µ thick, finely crystal coated with occasional inflated areas at or near the apex; margin inturned, fimbriate; hymenial surface concave, white becoming cream. Context white, to 100 µ thick, to 250 µ at the base, of radiately arranged compact parallel hyphae, outer few layers tinted; generative hyphae to 4 µ diameter, wall 0.25 µ thick, branched, septate. Hymenial layer to 60 µ deep, paraphyses filiform, numerous, apically acuminate. Basidia subclavate, 40-50 x 10-12 µ, 2-4-spored. Spores pyriform, flask-shaped, or tear-shaped, base rounded, apex long-acuminate, 15-20 x 9-11 µ, smooth, hyaline. Pilei resemble those of C. villosa and C. alboviolascens; but the species differs appreciably in the peculiar spores, which either resemble flasks with long necks or are tear-shaped with the broad base attached to the sterigmata. Both C. pyriforma and C. turbinata possess filiform paraphyses, whereas in the others described they are subclavate. In the sectional drawing (Text-fig. C, fig. 10) tufts of hairs are shown growing from the hymenial surface, a condition seen also in pilei of C. villosa and C. alboviolascens.The small pilei, large basidia, filiform paraphyses, and turbinate spores separate the species from others of the section. Spores resemble somewhat those of L. pyriformis, differing in shape and smaller size. [JAC] The material appears immature - hence smallness? Microscopically identical to L. pyriformis except for spore shape/size (and they are easily squashed out of shape). length=12.5–17.6µm (µ=14.9, σ=1.42), width=10.2–14.2µm (µ=11.5, σ=1.03), Q=1.1–1.6µm (µ=1.31, σ=0.16), n=20. Surely just a variant of L. villosa? L. villosa/pyriformis/turbinata/snaresensis seem to form a series of increasing spores size.
J.A. Cooper, 12/3/2015