Spicular Clublichen

The organism forms a thin, barely noticeable crust containing single-celled green algae that have multiple chloroplasts and a large oil-containing body. Its most distinctive features are the upright fruiting bodies, which are club-shaped—narrow at the base and widening towards the tip. These structures reach 2–4.2 cm in height and are deep orange to reddish-orange in colour, except for their whitish-orange base. When dried, they become pale orange or orange-white, often with a pinkish tinge. The fruiting bodies have shallow lengthwise grooves and are hollow when mature. Under the microscope, they show a complex internal structure of fungal threads (hyphae) arranged in distinct layers, producing transparent, elongated spores.

Sulzbacheromyces miomboensis is currently known only from the Haut-Katanga Province of the DRC, where it is common in its preferred habitat. The species appears in areas with a strongly seasonal climate, characterised by a dry season from May to September/October and a rainy season from November to April, during which rainfall averages 1,240 mm per year. The fruiting bodies emerge halfway through the rainy season, growing on compacted, iron-rich soil, often along dirt roads. These sites are typically very exposed to sun, hot, and have little other vegetation. When conditions are suitable, hundreds of fruiting bodies can appear together, covering several square metres.

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