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Species Information
Summary: Pithya cupressina produces deep orange discs on recently killed foliage of Juniperus, Cupressus, Thuja and Sequoia.
It is found at least in BC, WA, OR, ID, and CA, (Larsen).
Upper surface: at first nearly spherical, becoming circular or elongated and irregular, flat or slightly concave; deep orange, (Seaver), 0.2-0.5cm wide, disc-shaped to low top-shaped; bright orange, (Hansen), about 0.1cm broad and high, flat; bright orange, (Dennis)
Underside: lighter in color than upper surface; white mycelial threads attach fruitbody to substrate, (Seaver), whitish; tomentose (Hansen), paler than upper surface; smooth, (Dennis)
Stem: short if present (Seaver), very short if present (Hansen), with a short stout stem, downy at base, (Dennis)
Microscopic: spores reaching 10-12 microns in diameter, round, granular within and usually containing one large oil-droplet, 1-seriate; asci reaching length of 250 microns and width of 15 microns; paraphyses branched in lower part, only slightly enlarged in upper part, reaching width of 2-3 microns at tip, (Seaver), spores 9-12 microns in diameter, round, (Hansen), spores 9-10 microns in diameter, round, smooth, 1-seriate; asci 8-spored, 210 x 12 microns; paraphyses cylindric, very slightly enlarged up to 4 microns at tip, (Dennis)
Habitat / Range
gregarious on recently killed foliage of various species of Juniperus, Cupressus, Thuja, and Sequoia, (Seaver), on twigs and needles of Juniperus, late fall to spring, (Hansen), on dead leaves of Juniperus (Dennis)
Similar Species
Pithya vulgaris grows on Abies and Sequoia and reaches a larger size, up to 1.5cm.
