Phylum Ascomycota

Kingdom: Fungi > Phylum: Ascomycota

The ascomycetes are the sac fungi, so named because of the reproductive spores contained in a special sac called ascus during the sexual stage. Many of the ascomycetes live on dead organic matter and many are plant pathogens, some are animal pathogens and a few are edible mushrooms, examples of the latter being the truffle and the morel. Possibly one of the most useful fungi of all is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the common yeast used in bread making and brewing.

The ascomycetes can be divided into the following classes:

Class: Arthoniomycetes – forms lichens
Class: Archaeorhizomycetes
Class: Coniocybomycetes
Class: Dothideomycetes – pathogenic, endophytic, or epiphytic on plants, saprotrophic in soil, parasitic on fungi and animals, or symbiotic with algae to form lichens
Class: Eurotiomycetes – parasitic, pathogenic, saprotrophic, or symbiotic with algae to form lichens (included here are Penecillium and Aspergillus some of which produce antibiotics)
Class: Geoglossomycetes – Earth tongues (used to be included in Leotiomycetes)
Class: Laboulbeniomycetes – very tiny, external parasites of insects
Class: Lecanoromycetes – all lichen forming fungi
Class: Leotiomycetes – parasitic or pathogenic on plants, many cause serious plant diseases (includes mildews), some grow on dung
Class: Lichinomycetes – forms lichens
Class: Neolectomycetes – parasitic or pathogenic on plant roots
Class: Orbiliomycetes – Parasitic or saprotrophic, with many found on bark; includes some cup fungi
Class: Pezizomycetes – saprotrophic on wood, soil, or dung, includes cup fungi, morels, truffles and elfin saddles
Class: Pneumocystidomycetes – parasitic or pathogenic in animals (can be parasitic in the alveoli of the lungs of some vertebrates eg Pneumocystis)
Class Schizosaccharomycetes – fission yeasts – saprotrophic in fruit juice
Class: Saccharomycetes – Budding yeasts including baker’s yeast – aprotrophic or pathogenic in plants and humans (eg Saccharomyces used for fermentation and Candida which can cause thrush)
Class: Sordariomycetes – from the Latin ‘sordes’ meaning filth as many grow on animal faeces, but growth habits are quite varied. Includes leaf spots, blights, and Claviceps (ergot)
Class: Taphrinomycetes – parasitic or pathogenic on plants resulting in galls
Class: Xylonomycetes

The fungi I have photos of are further classified below. Identifying fungi is difficult so many of the species I have found have only been confidently identified at the Genus level.

Class: Lecanoromycetes (Lichens)

Order: Lecanorales
- Family: Cladoniaceae
  - Genus: Cladonia
    - C. crispata (aka C. rangiformis)
    - C. portentosa, Reindeer lichen
    - C. floerkeana, Devil’s matchsticks (aka British soldiers lichen)
    - C. pyxidata, Pebbled pixie-cup
- Family: Parmeliaceae
  - Genus: Flavoparmelia
    - F. caperata, Common Greenshield Lichen
  - Genus: Evernia
    - E. prunastri, Oak moss lichen
  - Genus: Hypogymnia
    - H. physodes, Hooded tube lichen
Order: Teloschistales
- Family: Teloschistaceae
  - Genus: Xanthoria
    - X. parietina, common orange lichen (aka yellow scale, maritime sunburst lichen, shore lichen)
Order: Peltigerales
- Family: Peltigeraceae
  - Genus: Peltigera
    - P. canina, Dog’s Tooth lichens

Cladonia floerkeana, Devil’s matchsticks
– found on Thursley Common, October 2015

A Cladonia (pixie-cup) species
Possibly Cladonia pyxidata, Pebbled pixie-cup – found on Frensham Common, November 2019

A Cladonia (Reindeer Lichen) species
Possibly Cladonia portentosa, one of the Reindeer lichens – found at Frensham, February 2018

Hypogymnia spp. — A Hypogymnia species
Possibly Hypogymnia physodes, Hooded tube lichen – found on Witley common, November 2017

Flavoparmelia caperata, Common Greenshield Lichen
– found in Elstead, February 2017

Peltigera spp. — A Peltigera species
Possibly Dog’s Tooth lichens (Peltigera canina) – found in Gjøvik, August 2016

Evernia spp. — An Evernia species
Possibly Evernia prunastri, Oak moss lichen – found on Rodborough Common, February 2017

Class: Leotiomycetes

Order: Helotiales
- Family: Gelatinodiscaceae
  - Genus: Ascocoryne
    - A. sarcoides, purple jellydisk
Order: Rhytismatales
- Family: Pezizellaceae
  - Genus: Bisporella
    - B. citrina, lemon disco

Ascocoryne sarcoides, purple jellydisk
– Witley Common, September 2017 – U3A Exploring with Sara

Bisporella citrina, lemon disco
– Frensham Common, November 2019 – U3A Exploring

Class: Pezizomycetes

Order: Pezizales
- Family: Helvellaceae
  - Genus: Helvella
    - H. crispa, White saddle (Note. this now appears to have been renamed to Pseudocraterellus undulatus and moved to the family Cantharellaceae in the phylum Basidiomycota)
- Family: Pyronemataceae
  - Genus: Aleuria
    - A. aurantia, Orange peel fungus
  - Genus: Geopora
    - G. tenuis (no English name)
  - Genus: Otidea
    - O. onotica, Hare’s ear
  - Genus: Scutellinia
    - S. scutellata, Common eyelash
- Family: Sarcoscyphaceae
  - Genus: Sarcoscypha (these two species are almost identical)
    - S. austriaca, Scarlet elfcup
    - S. coccinea, Ruby elfcup

Helvella crispa, White saddle
– Witley Common, September 2017

Aleuria aurantia, Orange peel fungus
– Frensham Common, November 2019 – U3A Exploring

Geopora tenuis
– Hambledon Common, October 2019 – recce with Sara

Otidea onotica, Hare’s ear
– found at Ludshot common, September 2013

Scutellinia scutellata, Common eyelash
– found on Witley Common, October 2017

Probably Sarcoscypha coccinea, Ruby elfcup – found at Waggoners Wells, March 2012
– found at Waggoners Wells, March 2012

Class: Sordariomycetes

Order: Hypocreales
- Family: Clavicipitaceae
  - Genus: Claviceps
    - C. purpurea, Ergot
Order: Xylariales
- Family: Xylariaceae
  - Genus: Xylaria
    - X. hypoxylon, Candlesnuff
    - X. longipes, Dead moll’s fingers