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Cap brown, umbonate, viscid, 1.7 cm

Stem silky, violet hues on lower part, 6 cm X .7 cm

Spores brown, cortina leaves spore-colored zone.

Smell of sulphur, mercaptan, coal tar

Taste mild.

Growing on soil in beaten path, conifers nearby, single stems.

On gilled fungi with stem. The fungi were growing on old giant grass stems. Convent area. On wood inhabiting agarics. Acc. to lit. mainly on Crepidotus species but the host here had a long stipe. Mushroom becomes unrecognizable. Parasite hardens tissues filling up the space between the gills. I also observed that it emptied flesh from inside the stipe. It feels firm. It also says that it may spread onto adjacent wood. This is its anamorph and the conidia are unicellular, growing from a verticillate cell.

A quadripartite interaction between a Merismodes sp., a diatrypaceous fungus, a Dialonectria sp., and an indet. helotialean cup. The Merismodes sp. has an obvious affinity for the erumpent stromata of the diatrypaceous fungus, but will also occur elsewhere on the substrate, where there doesn't appear to be any evidence of stromatal growth/tissue. The Dialonectria sp., however, forms exclusively atop the ostioles of the diatrypaceous fungus, and upon these perithecia grow an as of yet unidentified discomycete. Apparently, this is not an uncommon habit for Merismodes; growing atop the stromatal surfaces of various diatrypaceous fungi. Another observation of Merismodes forming a close association with diatrypaceous stromata, on the same substrate (birch), in the same biogeographic region (southern Appalachian highlands) is shown and discussed in the following blog post: https://weirdandwonderfulwildmushrooms.blogspot.com/2014/04/

under 1mm diam., tucked in amongst the deceptively similar, black-bordered primordia of neighboring Perrotia flammea (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/163625669). On same substrate as https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/163625666 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/163625665 as well. ITS and micro forthcoming.

Collected during the 2023 Spring Meeting of the Pacific Northwest Key Council in Peachland, British Columbia, Canada.

Ok, quite a few mistakes on my part ;) Revisit shows this is not a cherry tree, it is a trembling aspen! And yes, it is an insect gall of some kind. I suspect one of the species listed on pg 84 of this link https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3833855.pdf

See http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51659356 on the island.
Photo 16 looks like bright orange conidiogenic cells (x1000) 1div=1um Yeast ? Or Trichothecium roseum teleomorph? See also photo 11 between the number 4 and 5 on the ruler: not sure if that is Blastic-retrogressive conidiogenesis - as seen in Trichothecium anamorphs? Note 1 div=2.5 um. Also compare photo 5 with photo 17 Light green has turned black. 03/25 : Added what the sample turned into after two months in a sealed container, room temperature. May 21, 2023 discovered other 'Diatrype' style dark sooty mold on maple nearby and on Trembling aspen. I note how dark the holes here are: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/163340797 - and the feeding trails are there but they are faint

Anamorphic fungi was growing directly from decorticated ?hardwood log.
Conidia with 3-septa, middle cells are dark brown, the ends are hyaline, measured
(32) 34.7 - 41.4 (43) × (10.7) 11.3 - 12.3 (12.7) µm
Q = (2.6) 2.9 - 3.5 (3.7) ; N = 19
Me = 37.9 × 11.9 µm ; Qe = 3.2
Conidiophores 130-152um in length.
Next to Calycina citrina and Helicoma muelleri.

On decorticated log next to Arachnopeziza trabinelloides anamorphic fungi.
Conidia dark brown with 3 septa, measured
(14.5) 14.9 - 22.6 (23.6) × (7) 8.5 - 13.8 (13.9) µm
Q = 1.6 - 1.9 (2.1) ; N = 11
Me = 20.3 × 11.5 µm ; Qe = 1.8