Microscopic: spores 65-105 x 5-7 microns, biseriate to multiseriate in the ascus, clavate-cylindric, straight, or curved, at first continuous and multiguttulate [with several droplets], then 3- and finally 7-12-septate, for a long time colorless, finally fuliginous; asci 8-spored, up to 150-175 microns long and 18-20 microns wide, clavate-cylindric, the apex narrowed, pore blue with iodine; paraphyses 5-6 microns thick, colorless, cylindric, not closely septate, usually strongly curved, or circinate [twisted around, coiled] in upper part, the apex abruptly elliptic to round thickened, (Seaver), spores (45)66-90(110) x 5-6 microns, clavate or clavate cylindric, "very variable in color and septation, hyaline and brown," spores of both colors discharged, hyaline non-septate, brown 0-13-septate, both with thin walls; asci 150-200 x 18-20 microns, clavate; paraphyses colorless and brown, "straight or considerably curved in upper part, remotely to moderately septate, not or slightly constricted at septa, with the lower cells cylindric, and the terminal clavate to obovoid, somewhat agglutinating.", (Mains)
Habitat and Range
SIMILAR SPECIES
The color is usually brown, rarely black, different from most other species, (Mains). Spores are both hyaline and brown whereas other species'' spores are brown, except for Geoglossum alveolatum of Michigan, New York and ?Idaho, and Geoglossum intermedium of ON, NY, TN, VA, which both have their colorless spores frequently septate, paraphyses agglutinated by amorphous matter, and stems tufted setose-hirsute instead of squamulose (G. alveolatum has spores mostly more than 66 microns long, and G. intermedium more than 66 microns long), (Mains). Geoglossum fallax has tawny-brown fruiting body, whereas Geoglossum glabrum, Geoglossum nigritum [here considered Geoglossum umbratile], and Glutinoglossum glutinosum have black or brownish black fruiting body, (Seaver). Trichoglossum hirsutum and Trichoglossum velutipes are hirsute from setae. See also SIMILAR section of Microglossum atropurpureum.
Habitat
single on clay or loamy soil in woods or on slopes of ravines, (Seaver), scattered to crowded on humus and rotting logs, (Mains)
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names: Corticium tuberculatum P. Karst.