Tremella nivalis C.-J. Chen, Bibliotheca Mycologica 174: 1-225. 1998.
Description：
Basidiocarps erumpent from bark or tuberculate on surface of wood, pulvinate to cerebriform, rubbery-gelatinous, 0.5-3.5 cm in length, 0.4-1.5 cm in width, white, whitish pink to cream, becoming amber, then date-brown when old; surface white to cream and base of old part light brown when soaked; dry brownish black, resupinate, thin and ceraceous; associated with pyrenomycetacous ascomycetes. Basidia mostly pyriform to capitate, 11.5-16(-22) × 11-16 μm [Q=(0.97-)1.0-1.2(-1.46)] (size and Q value not including stalk and apex), mostly with apical protuberances; stalks 1-12(-16) × 2-2.5(-4) μm, apical protuberances (0.5-) 2.0-4 × 2-3 μm, up to 10 μm in length; sometimes with stalks but without apical protuberances, frequently with short stalks and short apical protuberances, rarely without stalks and without apical protuberances; longitudinally or obliquely cruciate-septate, 2- to 4-spored; sterigmata mostly inflated apically before sporulating, usually up to 55 μm in length, apically swollen, 4-5.5 μm ø, sterigmata aciculate (filiform) when soaked, up to 220 × 1.5-2 μm; probasidial initials typically subglobose to clavate, mature probasidia predominantly pyriform, globose to ellipsoid, with or without stalks. Spores ± globose to subglobose, 5-8(-10) × 5.5-8(-9) μm [Q=(0.86-)0.93-1.14], appearing slightly dorsiventrally compressed, mostly broader than long, normally germinating by budding or by repetition, occasionally germinating by germ tubes when soaked; smooth, hyaline. Conidia absent. Swollen cells appearing often in subhymenium and especially in inner parts of basidiocarps; citriform to ventricose-rostrate, some tapering without swelling, 9.5-15.5 × 3-5.5(-10) μm [Q=(1.63-)2.72-4.28], thin-walled, occasionally continuing to grow with clamped hyphae. Hyphae thin-walled to slightly thick-walled, gelatinous, 1.5-2.5 μm ø, in inner parts of basidiocarps up to 4 μm ø; clamps relatively frequent, ranging from closed to medallion types; branching mostly by outgrowth of clamps. Haustoria rarely on hyphae of the hymenium and inner basidiocarps, but abundant on hyphae in pure culture.
Specimens：
Taiwan, Hsinchu County, Kuanwu Forest, leg. C.-J. Chen, CCJ 911, on pyrenomycetaceous fungi growing on branches of Castanopsis sp. Taiwan, Hsinchu County, Kuanwu Forest, leg. C.-J. Chen, CCJ 930; Taiwan, Hsinchu County, Kuanwu Forest, leg. C.-J. Chen, CCJ 933; Taiwan, Hsinchu County, Kuanwu Forest, leg. C.-J. Chen, Taiwan, CCJ 937; Taichung county, Tasheshan Forest, leg. C.-J. Chen, CCJ 1418.
Habitat：
null
Distribution：
null
References：
Bandoni, RJ. 1957; Bandoni, RJ et al. 1996; Bourdot, H and Galzin, A. 1928; Chen, CJ. 1998; Chen, PC and Hou, HH. 1979; Kobayasi, Y. 1939; Neuhoff, W. 1931; Olive, LS. 1958.
Provided：
C. J. Chen
Note：
Basidiocarps always associated with stromata of pyrenomycetous fungi and basidiospores mostly broader than long. These are the most important characters of the Indecorata group, i.e. in T. albida Huds.:Fr., T. exigua Desm., T. indecorata Sommerf.:Fr., T. lilacea Bandoni & Caranza, T. moriformis (Fr.) Smith ex Berk., T. nigrifacta Bandoni & Caranza, T. subanomala Coker, T. virescens Bref., and T. violacea Relh.:Fr. The specimens of T. nivalis have been collected in the temperate area of Taiwan, at an altitude of ca. 2000-2300 m. Macromorphologically they appear similar to T. pulvinalis Kobayasi (1939), known from Japan. However, basidia and basidiospores are very different (14-16 × 9-11 μm & 7-10 × 4-6 μm respectively). Tremella nivalis is also similar to T. subanomala sensu Neuhoff (1931) but differs in size of basidia and spores. The related T. lilacea Bandoni & Caranza (1996) and T. nigrifacta Bandoni & Caranza (1996) differ in color of basidiocarps, basidia and basidiospore measurements. Tremella lilacea is close to T. moriformis but differs in size of basidia and basidiospores (Bandoni et al., 1996). It may be related to T. violacea which is rarely reported since 1928 (Bourdot & Galzin, 1928). As for T. nigrifacta, it resembles T. indecorata and T. moriformis, both associated with stromata of a Diatrypella sp., but differs in basidia and basidiospore dimensions (Bandoni et al., 1996).
Tremella nivalis is also resembling T. indecorata (fide Bandoni, 1957), but either the size or the shape of basidia and basidiospores are identical. Basidiocarps of T. nivalis are larger and hyphae are clamped. In T. subanomala and in T. indecorata, terminally and subterminally swollen cells (the same as "gemmae" sensu Bandoni) have not been mentioned before, but are common in T. nivalis. Neuhoff (1931) thought that T. subanomala and T. indecorata are conspecific, what is accepted by Bandoni (personal communication). However, the type material should be restudied in detail before final conclusions can be made.
Phylum：Basidiomycota >> Class： Basidiomycetes >> Order： Tremellales 
BCRC Number：