Scutellinia aff. scutellata (L. ex St.-Amans) Lambotte

Common name: None.

Description: The small, brilliant red cups are up to 1 cm in diameter and fringed with black or dark brown hairs. The cup interiors are smooth and dry. There is no stem and the disc-like cups rest directly on the rotting wood.

The spores measure 1620 × 1015 µm and are ellipsoidal, smooth at first then very finely ornamented with wrinkles, and colourless.

Substratum: Occurs on rotting logs in forests, almost always in large numbers and sometimes so crowded that the discs are contorted.

Distribution: Specimens fitting the description of the above species have been found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Notes: There is still debate as to the exact identity of this species. The last major study of this group of fungi specifically on Australian collections, was carried out by M.A.Rifai in 1968. Rifai concluded that S. scutellata was present in Australia and Rifai's view has been followed here. A closely allied species, S. margaritacea, has been reported from Western Australia. As is the case with so many of the Australian macrofungi, a revision of these taxa is urgently needed.