Exidia purpureocinerea | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Basidiomycota |
Class: | Agaricomycetes |
Order: | Auriculariales |
Family: | Auriculariaceae |
Genus: | Exidia |
Species: | E. purpureocinerea
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Binomial name | |
Exidia purpureocinerea MacOwan (1882)
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Exidia purpureocinerea is a species of fungus in the family Auriculariaceae. Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are gelatinous, densely covered in small spines, purple-grey, and cushioned-shaped at first, becoming effused. The species occurs in southern Africa on dead wood.
The species was originally described from Boschberg (in the Sneeuberge) in 1882 by Yorkshire-born, South African botanist and mycologist Peter MacOwan.[1]
Exidia purpureocinerea forms purple-grey, gelatinous fruit bodies that are cushion-shaped at first, later coalescing to become irregularly effused. The surface is densely covered in small spines. The spore print is white.[1][2]
The microscopic characters are typical of the genus Exidia. The basidia are ellipsoid, septate, 14 to 18 by 10.5 to 12 μm. The spores are weakly allantoid (sausage-shaped), 14 to 18 by 4.5 to 5.5 μm.[2]
The original description notes that Exidia purpureocinerea is similar to E. glandulosa, but differs in its colour and denser smaller papillae (spines).[1][3] The densely spiny, coalescing fruit bodies are typical of the genus Tremellochaete and the South African species resembles the New Zealand species Tremellochaete novozealandica.
Exidia purpureocinerea is a wood-rotting species. It is currently only known from South Africa.[2][3]