Gattungsdiagnose: Fruchtkörper aus teller- bis becherförmigen Apothecien, - 5 cm Ø, einzeln bis büschelig, dem Substrat direkt aufsitzend, oder
mit kurzem Stielchen. Hymenium konkav, scharlachrot, orange oder auch ganz weiß. Außenseite des Stieles eben oder
gekerbt, weißlich, glatt, samtig oder filzig. Ektalexcipulum dünn, aus textura primatica/angularis bestehend.
Medullläres Excipulum aus textura intricata, mit septierten, selten verzweigten Hyphen. Paraphysen filiform,
verzweigt, septiert und apikal nur schwach verdickt. Asci unitunicat, suboperculat, lang zylindrisch und basal oft
zugespitzt, dickwandig mit negativer Jod-Reaktion, 8-sporig. Ascosporen 1-zellig, hyalin, im Ascus uniserat,
ellipsoid - eiförmig-ellipsoid oder subzylindrisch, symmetrisch, glatt mit Öltröpfchen. Anamorphen sind
nicht bekannt. Habitat auf totem, morschem Holz oder Erde.
A. Ascospores *(17-)18-19-21 µm long, containing several LBs 1-4 µm diam., poles slightly truncate,
nuclear region constantly lateral, without sheath. Conidia of anamorph produced on short germ tubes on
ascospores, 5.5-6.5 x 3 µm, bi- or multiguttulate. Apothecia 2.5-5 mm diam. .. S. occidentalis -> Ascosporen min. 21-30 µm long .. B
B. Ascospores containing one (5-)6-7.5 µm large LB near each pole (rarely instead two or three
4-6 µm large LBs, often associated with some much smaller ones), at the ends partly distinctly
truncate to slightly indented, with a mucilaginous sheath surrounding the entire spore (living
material, within living asci forming caps at the spore ends). Conidia of anamorph only formed on
mycelium, *7-15 x 2.5-3.5 µm, containing a few small LBs near each end (low lipid content) ..
S. jurana -> Ascospores in living specimens (!) with c. 10-20 smaller (usually < 4.5 µm) LBs grouped
near each pole (however, in dead material often fused to form one large body). Mucilaginous sheath
never surrounding the whole spore .. C
C. Excipular hairs strikingly irregularly sinuous to coiled and convoluted like a corkscrew.
Ascospores partly with distinctly flattened to slightly indented poles, with several medium-sized
LBs 1.5-3(-4.5) µm diam. near each pole, usually with a small mucilaginous cap on each pole, in older
ascocarps germinating by (1-)2(-4) short germ tubes that form conidia of anamorph, even within dead
asci: conidia *12-16(-18.7) x (4-)4.5-5.5(-6) µm, multiguttulate (high lipid content), paraphyses
often inflated in middle part .. S. austriaca -> Excipular hairs predominantly straight or only slightly sinuous. Ascospores at best in
dead material very slightly truncated at the ends, never indented, conidia only formed on mycelium,
never on ascospores, paraphyses never inflated .. D
D. Ascospores predominantly *22-33 x 9-11.5 µm, LBs 0.5-1.5(-2) µm diam., ascocarps 6-20 mm
diam., anamorph unknown .. S. macaronesica -> Ascospores predominantly *25-40 x 11-14 µm, ascocarps 10-90 mm diam. .. E
E. Ascospores mature always without mucilaginous sheath (N-America: with sheath!), with
several rather small LBs (1-3 µm) near each pole, conidia of anamorph *4-5.5(-6.5) x 2.2-2.6 µm,
with two large polar and some small LBs .. S. coccinea -> Ascospores with rather large polar mucilaginous caps, with one or several medium large
LBs (c. 2-4-5-6 µm) near each pole, conidia of anamorph 3.5-5.2 x 2.5-3 µm, guttulation
unknown .. S. dudleyi
Literatur:
Baral, H.O., Baral, O. & Marson, G. (2003) - In vivo veritas. Over 5800 scans of fungi and plants
(microscopical drawings, water colour plates, slides), with material on vital taxonomy. 2nd edition. CD-ROM.
BREITENBACH, J & F. KRÄNZLIN (1995) - Pilze der Schweiz , Band 1. Verlag Mycologia, Luzern.
Boudier, J.L.É., 1885, Bulletin de la Société Mycologique de France 1: 103
Hanlin, R.T. 1990, Illustrated genera of Ascomycetes: 54
Sarcoscypha austriaca
Sarcoscypha coccinea
Sarcoscypha jurana