X-ray specks

A misty soggy day that offered little of interest  until I found these holly leaves covered with tiny dots. Seen through a lens they revealed themselves to be minute black discs attached to the surface of the leaf. They belong to a fungus called Holly Speckle (a name I am tempted to usurp as a pseudonym), aka Trochila ilicina.

When mature the discs flip their lids and shoot out their spores.  You can see some of these burst speckles in the extra image, which does look rather like diseased skin (sorry), but how fascinating that such microscopic dramas are happening beneath our feet and in the process breaking down the tough surface of the holly leaves and making them available to other organisms that live on decomposed vegetation.