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Amanita chrysoblema, holotype (CUP-A-032114)
Original collection date: Sept. 20, 1907.

Collector: Kauffman

Publication: Mich. geol. biol. Surv., Biol. Ser. 5 26: 613 (1918)

Present photo from the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium (2024)

Host: Betula nigra

Smooth diatrypous fruit body, very thin - like a single celled layer with no clear body.

No asci observed, possibly anamorphic.

Spores dyed in lactophenol cotton blue - only staining the apical segments

Hyperparasitic on a Xylariales fungus
(Second fungus was confirmed)

Microscopically, this fungus had:
cleistothecia coated in setae
IKI- asci containing 8 ascospores
Hyaline, guttulate spores that were slightly curved but not fully allantoid.
The spores became yellow in color in Lugols solution.

Seems to match Nitschkia brevispina

I believe the olivaceous KOH extractable pigments are coming from the second fungus (Hypoxylon?) growing underneath the discs. I observed two types of spores.

This brilliant colour is caused by IIV-31 (Isopod Iridescent Virus). I've been checking hundreds of pill bugs over several years for this unusual phenomenon and my persistence finally paid off!
Sadly, this total colour change is usually the later stage of the virus; once a pill bug is this bright it generally doesn't have much longer to live.

.ab1 files located at
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kNNLOmvrjm_yGhaG6ObyGP9jq1xeh2_y?usp=sharing

Fruitbody 2.7x1.3 cm

Found near Tanoak and Pine with Rhododendron and Huckleberry nearby with Manzanita some 30m away. When it was found it was cut in half and apparently oozed a whitish latex. Fresh aroma similar to Lactarius rubidus.

Collected by Katrina S. during SOMA foray.

Microscopic features at 1000x in KOH and also with Melzer's

Spores amyloid, globbose, 6.5-10.5um with reticulate ornamentation.

Unusual basidia, appears mostly 2 spored but maybe these cells are something else.

in the absence of a trunk or stone to lean on, a capybara may be an option;
I have observed these two individuals do this twice;

see also
https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/nelson_wisnik/21258-the-friendly-capybara