Possible ID: Sordariomycota
Classification:
Phylum Ascomycota
Class Sordariomycota
Isolation and culturing methods:
Isolated from a soil sample that was then grown in a lab culture for multiple weeks. The soil was gathered from outside the Tau Kappa Epsilon house in Lewisburg PA, underneath the large tree out front. The sample was grown at room temperature for multiple weeks before any significant growth had happened. After the significant growth the organism was isolated and set in a pure culture.
Culture appearance and growth:
The fungus had grown into a circular culture and had tints of purple or dark red near the bottom and a furry white outer growth. Once it took up a small middle portion of the plate the culture had seemingly stopped growth and remained the same size for a multitude of weeks. When not in pure culture the organism demonstrated that it liked to keep its distance from other culture as no culture came within 4-5 mm of the culture and there was a clear line where nothing was growing in-between.
Spore production:
The spores of the organism were 4-5um in size and were of a spherical type. They had a very white color. There were no observed structures other than the spores as the top of the organism was very tough.