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Species Information
Summary: Features include small, hard, black cups that emerge from dead branches of alder, single or in clusters, absent or short stem, and microscopic characters including one-septate ascospores. The asci of species of Tympanis are usually filled with many small secondary spores: 8 well-developed ascospores are found extremely rarely, (Breitenbach & Kranzlin).
Collections were examined from BC, NF, NS, ON, PQ, NY, Denmark, Finland, and Germany, (Ouellette). Collections were examined from NS, ON, PQ, NY, and Germany, (Groves).
Upper surface: fruitbody 0.08-0.2cm across, 0.05-0.1cm high, "circular to undulate, often more or less elongated to almost hysteriform", black, (Groves)
Microscopic: microscopic characters as in T. alnea (Groves, but see note in SIMILAR), spores 5-6 x 4.5 microns; asci (110)135-190(215) x (14)18-22(25) microns, (Ouellette)
Habitat / Range
single (Groves), cespitose (Ouellette), on Alnus (alder)
Similar Species
Tympanis alnea occurs on the same host (alder), but T. hysterioides differs "in having one-septate ascospores and ultimate cells which are intermediate in size between those of T. alnea and T. pseudoalnea. The apothecia are pale brown when sectioned and hysteriform in outline; this, however, is mainly due to their gregarious habit; the few solitary apothecia remain orbicular." The ultimate cells, the last in the series of buddings from the germinating spore are less than 1 micron in diameter in T. pseudoalnea. (Ouellette).