In reference to the Pezicula specimen, there is clearly a mixture of Anamorph and Teleomorph in the specimen. Either they are the same thing, or one is parazitizing the other.

When in isolation, the anamorph appear as individual, regularly shaped beaked pycnidia with long necks. When associated with the teleomorph, they are often branched, distorted and sometimes even appear to "poke through" the apothecia. The apothecia come in either cespitose clusters, or singly in which case they tend to be larger. In certain cases, they appear to grow directly out of the pycnidial "tubes" with a dark melanistic collar at their base. Unfortunately I lack the resources to do good frozen sections to demonstrate this relationship.

Yes, the blue ascal plug is post KOH. I plan to do a series showing the hemiamyloid reaction before and after KOH in the same ascus, also with Melzer's.
I will predict 2 things before doing this:
-The inhibition of the dextrinoid reaction by chloral hydrate can be partially overcome by increasing the iodine concentration well above standard formulas.
-the apical dome will swell causing an apparent elogation of the apical plug

I'm ready to eat crow if I can't demonstrate either of these phenomena.

I will do some additional microscopy of the anamorphs to further characterize the conidia.

-Patrick