0–15.0 μm. Paraphyse tips covered with hyaline, strongly congophilous crystals that dissolve with KOH. Hypothecium hyaline to light green. Exciple green to brownish green in young apothecia, dark (greenish) brown in older ones, hyphae parallel, 3.0–4.0 μm wide, cell wall 0.5–1.5 μm, often with colorless crystals between and on top of hyphae of exciple, dissolving in KOH and MLZ; KOH + yellowish brown color leaks into medium and green pigments turn brown.
Faint, but persisting grayish red to purplish pink IKI + reaction in thick-walled hyphae of exciple. Reaction is often difficult to observe due to the strong pigmentation of hyphal walls. Stipe dark green in young apothecia GDC-973 to dark brown in older ones, hyphae more or less parallel, partly intertwined, 3.0–5.0 μm wide, cell wall 1.5–2.0 μm, KOH + dark brown color leaks into medium and green colors of stipe turn brown. All parts of exciple and stipe covered with dense net of arching and horizontal hyphae 3.0 μm wide, cell wall 0.5–1.0 μm. Epithecium greenish to yellowish brown, composed of elements from exciple and paraphyses. The thick-walled hyphae of exciple cover the asci, intertwine and form a tight net that is hard to break, with small holes measuring 3.0 μm × 4.0 μm. Paraphyses curve at the level of PS-341 mouse ascus tips to cover the asci, branch repeatedly and anastomose with neighboring
branches of the same and adjoining paraphyses just beneath the net of excipular hyphae, forming an inner layer of the epithecium. This complex contains innumerable colorless, strongly congophilous crystals. Crystals also appear between paraphyses and asci, usually as a 15–20 μm thick layer. The crystals dissolve and green colors of epithecium turn brown
in KOH. Faint, but persisting grayish red to purplish pink IKI + reaction in thick-walled hyphae of epithecium, usually difficult to observe due to the dark pigmentation of cell walls. Specimens studied China. Hunan Province. Resinicolous on basal trunk of Cunninghamia lanceolata. Dayong Co., Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Dense mixed Cunninghamia-angiosperm forest along roadside in moist valley, 15.IX.1999. 29°19′N, 110°24′E, elev. 785 m, Rikkinen Baf-A1 manufacturer JR990047 (UPS), JR990048 (H). Moist evergreen forest with bamboo and conifer stands in valley below Zhangjiajie Hotel, 18.IX.1999, 29°19′N, 110° 25′E. Elevation 630 m, Rikkinen JR990312, JR990346 (SKLM). Yaozizhai, along lowest section of trail from valley bottom towards the peak, mature Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation along dry stream bed, 20.IX.1999, 29°18′N, 110°25′E, elev. 610 m, Rikkinen JR990484. Liu Yang Co., Daweishan National Forest Park. Xu-Quan Hu, low broadleaved secondary thickets with isolated Cunninghamia lanceolata in moist valley, 28.IX.2000, 28°25.30′N, 114°06.95′E, elev. ca. 1,300 m, Rikkinen JR000470 (H). Lower section of trail from Li-Mu-Qiao to Wu-Zi-Shi crossing, secondary mixed evergreen forest with bamboo stands on steep slope of moist river valley, 28.IX.