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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Sedifolia-grey pigment in epithecium turning violet in K.

Ap section in water with grey epithecium

Addition of K (KOH) to the sample turns the epithecium intensely violet.

Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I haven't been #lichen posting regularly but hope to resume. Here is some Rinodina pityrea from trunk base of an old poplar.

Composite micrograph of apothecium section with pigmented spores.

Piece of bark with apothecia, black disk and dull grey-green rim.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

And oblique. If these still show up on a thin film I might be able to pick these with fine pins (acupuncture needles) -- this would be the next experiment. @fayrnhawk.bsky.social @jandbio.bsky.social

Hyphomycete spores in oblique illumination.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Bright field also looks good. Now mostly everything has settled to the tripod state and the mesmerizing twirling has stopped.

Various hyphomycete spores in brightfield illumination.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The exchange with @isabelrfernandes.bsky.social made me at least test the stereo microscopes capabilities. I so whished I could show the mind blowing 3-dimensionality of the #Aquatichyphomycetes spores in water (everything in the sample is fixed, nothing to culture unfortunately).

Droplet in darkfield illumination with many hyphomycete conidia floating in it.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I think the Olympus BX50 from the 2000's is one of the most beautiful microscope frames*. It like the clear, geometric lines. More architecture than product design. Any other vintage BX here? #microscopy #PathSky

My desk with an Olympus BX50 microscope with dual viewing attachment and widefield tube.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

If you see me awkwardly handling a 3m collapsible carbon fibre pole with a kitchen strainer taped to it its to get some foam from the river.

Kitchen sieve taped to the end of a 3m carbon telescoping selfie pole with yellow masking tape. The sieve is filled with foam. In the background ivy covered trees and foamy river water.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I cannot really place this one. Is it some Campylospora sp. or Gyoerffyella sp. What do you think @jandbio.bsky.social @fayrnhawk.bsky.social?

Strange formed spore with pointy ends. approx. span 28x28 µm.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The autumnal Ilmenau in #Lüneburg yielded a foam sample rich in #AquaticHyphomycetes - in all forms and sizes. Notably absent are Clavatospora longibrachiata and Articulospora tetracladia.

A sample of aquatic hyphomycete conidia(spores) stained blue and with interference contrast microscopy. One large spore with 4 arms dominates the picture centre.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Nectriopsis lecanodes, a lichenicolous fungus on Peltigera (in this case P. praetextata). #lichen #fungifriends

Olive green lichen between moss. Parts of the lichen are turning orange and exhibiting tiny blobs - an infection with Nectriopsis lecanodes (another fungus).

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A strange Tetracladium in tonights sample of #AquaticHyphomycetes @jandbio.bsky.social Other than that 1 T. breve and lots of T. marchalianum in the sample from Lüneburg.

spore of an aquatic hyphomycete with a fat body, 2-3 blobs and 3 thin arms.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The coniocarp has very small spores and I end up at Chaenothecopsis pusilla - again... Having a sample does not make it easier.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Sometimes you cannot get nice #lichen samples with lots of substrate. Pressing a post-it note (and rubbing) to a beam of an timber framed house can maybe give you some chance to sample coniocarps!

Sticky side of a post-it note with algae and a couple of "pin" lichen fruiting bodies.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I wasn't the only one taking samples on this trip!

5yo kid in yellow wellies and red waterproof pants crouching in a forest stream with my strainers on a collapsible pole.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I had a chance to sample some foam for #AquaticHyphomcetes yesterday. Most very exciting but still fun to look at after some hiatus. From the Hasenburger Mühlenbach in #Lüneburg.

Stream in a forest with brown leaves on the banks and some fallen trees in the water.

Large spore with round body and 5 arms (Miladina lecithina)

Small spore with triangular body and 3 arms (several others out of focus) and lots of scum. We can debate if this is Heliscus tentaculus or Clavariopsis aquatica (I think the first). From measurements its too small for the first and too large for the latter... I would enjoy some opinions on that one :-)

Large 4-armed spore. Lemmoniera aquatica.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

There were some dead trees to appreciate!

Dead and partially decorticated chestnut tree next to a field.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Cladonia fimbriata (I think) #lichen on a rotting stump. My little excursion today was cut short by strong winds and rain.

"Landscape" of rotting wood with a patch of Cladonia lichen in the image centre. It has green basal squamules and 3 slender podetia covered in fine soredia and ending in distinct but small cups.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

To round things up: If small ascomycetes on ascomycetes are not your thing you can look next to them on the stick. I believe this is the anamorph of Tubeufia cerea (Helicosporium vegetum). #Fungifriends #Microscopy #Ascomycetes #Hyphomycetes.

Green felty fuzz on oak lignum. If you look closely you see brown erect "hairs".

Detail showing brown erect hyphae with attached greenish blobs (tiny curls if you look close).

Detail of conidia, some extended to c shape, others curled.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Even obscurer interests? While looking at the pyrenomycetes on wood I came across an even tinier Fungus, mostly on old pyrenos (later also on lignum): With friendly help on iNaturalist I now think this is Tubeufia cerea. #Fungifriends #Microscopy #Ascomycetes

Black crust of an old ascomycete breaking through the bark of on an oak branch. On it multiple orange fruiting bodies of another fungus.

Squished preparation showing asci with tightly packed fusiform spores.
Asci approx 85x10 µm.

Spores fusiform 48x4,4µm 5(?)-6 celled with oil droplets.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Obscure interests? Try pyrenomycetes on rotting wood. Nemania serpens on lignum of oak. Seems to be quite common - and rarely recorded. I wonder why. #Fungifriends #Microscopy #Ascomycetes

Olive-blackbrown crust of a lignicolous fungus with black ostioles.

Section through the olive crust with perithecia.

Asci with 8 spores, pigmented when mature.

Ascus in Lugol's iodine showing a red (dextrinoid) reaction in the apical apparatus.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Cliostomum griffithii #lichen sample is from rough bark of a veteran oak.

Grey lichen crust on rough bark. The lichen has multiple black spots.

Cracked thallus showing a glimpse of the green algeal layer. Black pycnidia are partially separated by a crack from the rest of the thallus.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Cliostomum griffithii #lichen microscopy shows stages of conidiospore development.

Squish preparation of Cliostomum griffithii pycnidium. Conidiogenous cells and attached immature conidiospores are visible in the centre frame. Next to it some algae. The immature conidiospres are attached broadly and delimited by a septum, the top is oval, no inclusions visible. DIC microscopy. Frame is 68x68 µm.

Squish preparation of Cliostomum griffithii pycnidium. A mature conidopsore still atached to the conidiogenous cell. Next to it a conidiospore was just released - the detachment scar is visible at the bottom. The conidiospres are oval and have 2 inclusions. DIC microscopy. Frame is 68x68 µm.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Another one from the same sample - different location. C. brachypoda #lichen (I think) in crevices of willow bark.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Would that change my assessment? If so I would expect additional free living Trentepohlia - I just checked microscopically and I think the algae are compatible with Stichococcus (?!). Are there yellow pruinose coniocarps associated with Trentepohlia?

Small algae from the base of the lichen.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Dive with me into the valleys of willow bark with C. brachypodia #lichen.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Thank you Sue. Some willows and an oak were filled with it - in one case you could see the yellow green from meters away!

Willows and undergrowth. The central willow has some light green patches (image center) which correspond to large areas of C. brachypoda.

Wayside oak. The rain shadow site hat multiple spots of C. brachypoda.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Developing apothecia of Coniocybe (was Chaenotheca) brachypoda #lichen in higher resolution. You can also make out the thin thallus hyphae coating the fibres of Salix bark. Shot with a Mitutoyo MPlanApo 5x/DCR150/A7Rm4

Bark (Salix) with yellow pruinose, pin shaped apotcia.

Detail of developing apothecia. The thallus hyphae envelop the plant fibres and project little hairs with blobs on the ends.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Substrate and spores speak for Ch. trichialis - maybe completely overgrown by green algae. What do the lichen people of Bluesky think? Where would you put this one?

Squish with lots of (round) green algae and some pigmented spores.

Squish with fragments of apothecium and some pigmented spores.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Another Chaenotheca #lichen from today is troubleing me. The apothecia are shorter and wider than the Chaenotheca trichialis from the same site (but different pine tree). And its completely overgrown by algae. I cannot make out any pruina and however I have pigmented spores.

Brown pin like apothecia overgrown(?) by green algae.

Brown pin like apothecia arising from green "thallus".

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Another group of Chenotheca trichialis #lichen on pine bark.

Detail of a depression in pine bark filled with granular green lichen from which small pin shaped apothecia arise.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Chaenotheca trichialis (I think) #lichen on pine bark.

Pin shaped apothecium with dark brown-black stalk and white pruina along the top half of the stalk and the bottom of the pinhead. The pinhead is a light brown mass of spores.
It is standing on a faint green granular thallus.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I was also looking for Coniocybe brachypoda (which I (think I) have found on oak) in the "more typical habitat": on alder and willow along streams and found one small patch on an old willow. #lichen

Crevice in willow bark with some small sulphur yellow pin-shaped apothecia.

Detail of a small yellow pin shaped apothecium.

Old willow tree on the bank of a small stream.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I think I will need to do further microscopy and better measurements on my calibrated scope. Also Ch. debilis is supposed to be N+ red which I cannot do at the moment.

Alder tree next to a stream with a decorticated damaged region from which the sample was taken.

Another view of the damaged tree from across the stream.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Hard to reach and hard to see - Chaenothecopsis cf. debilis (I think) on decorticated wood of Alder next to a small stream. I had to climb a bit over the water to reach the site but it was definitely the highlight of my afternoon walk*. * walk = crawling, climbing and jumping along a stream.

Macro photograph showing decorticated wood of alder.

Detail from the macro photo with several small pin shaped apothecia.

Stereo microscope detail of the pin shaped apothecia.

Squish prep in water. Asci 8-spored. Spores 1-septate, brown.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

If you use a stereo microscope you can get away with very little material for spot testing. This was about 1/3 of an apothecium scratched on to the sticky side of a post-it note. On the negative side - you may miss heterogenous reactions so take care.

White apothecium about 3/4 of 1mm wide with yellow pruina after being pushed into a droplet of C.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Glaucomaria rupicola - I think - #lichen. The photo is from last year, I came back to visit and collected an apothecium for confirming c+ yellow.

White lichen crust on basalt with several irregularly formed apothecia.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Chaenotheca ferruginea #lichen with typical rusty red patches on the thallus and pin shaped apothecia.

Small pin shaped apothecium arising from a grey and rusty-orange coloured granular thallus.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Thank you for the suggestion. I will see if I can find me some A. atra here. The photos are old. These are the new ones with the reaction I doubt. Collection from the same site - although in extreme heat, maybe this is also influencing the chemistry?

Black apothecia with faint dusty white pruina.

Ap. squish with I diffusing in showing a transition form light blue to orange

Black apothecia with dense white pruina.

Ap. section in I with dark red reaction.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Good night! The clouds are finally over us. Wind and cool air arrive from the north.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

This should have been tagged #lichen. We need an edit function! The habitat was a beech with the diameter: I cannot touch my fingers but can pass a pencil from one hand to the other when I hug the tree... cm.

Beech trunk, its base covered in moss. Some white lichen thalli are visible on the trunk and between the moss.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Lecanora pulicaris on beech. Collection from yesterday. Common - but nothing I see usually and so new to me. Typical P-red apothecia margins.

Detail of white crustose lichen with an apothecium with thick white margin and dark brown disk.

P-reaction showing intense orange-red reaction on the apothecial margins and some spots on the thallus. Other parts of the thallus were P- (and C-, K+ yellow, KC brown-ish).

Section through the apothecium with some single celled spores.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

I collected a bunch of rocks in an old limestone quarry today to look for a #lichen I found on a limestone pebble last year. Keep your fingers crossed, maybe I am lucky and find it again.

Cardboard box with samples of limestone overgrown by grey and black lichens and some paper bags (with more samples in them).

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

An additional proper photo of the lichen on site. (not that proper because the yellow pins blow the highlights, I didn't see that coming... live and learn)

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Cladonia (fimbriata, I think) #lichen in front of a curtain of moss on oak bark - because everybody likes pixie cup lichens.

Podetia (cups) of a Cladonia lichen projecting out of a mound of squamules. Several strands of brown green moss are visible in the background.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

The pins are very small, and are probably too small for C. furfuracea. I do not have the means measure the spores with confidence for the next couple of days. I have mixed info on the habitat - however many list mostly on decorticated wood, others on ash, salix - this was on oak. Any comments?

Wayside oak (habitat of the lichen on the rain shadow side from base to the hight I could comfortably observe)

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I haven't been #Lichen posting for a while (sorry) and want to come back to just to show off a find from today, coupled with a question. I found this nice pinhead lichen completely covered in yellow pruina. I think this is Coniocybe (Chaenotheca) brachypoda.

Sample of oak bark with many tiny pin lichens covered in yellow pruina. The pins are standing on an indisticnt grey sometimes granular thallus.

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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

A small Cladonia #lichen embroidery on my jacket. By @artbyemilytull.bsky.social ! Thank you.

Patch of a small Cladonia podetium on an olive green wool jacket.

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