Identification: Orange growths

Orange growths approximately 0.5 cm in diameter.
Growing on a tree branch lying in snow in a coniferous forest in northern New Mexico, USA.

Can anybody id this?

 

Not great with fungi, but as a guess Dacromyces species, common name Fairy Butter? Harry

 

Thanks for the reply. It doesn't really match, however, what i think of (or have seen around here) as Dacromyces. Not jelly like enough.

 

I know Dacromyces palmatus and Tremella mesenterica (both are commonly referred to as Witche's butter) pretty well, and I don't think that is what you have.

I'm sorry to say that although I can tell you what it is not, I cannot tell you what it is.

Is your organism hard or soft?

 

If I recall correctly, it was somewhat hard.
It gives a little if you push on it, but not much.

 

I looked for quite sometime under the Discomycetes (which I'm fairly certain it should be) but unfortunately this was about the closest I could come to it. <http://tinyurl.com/h7zg2>.

I realize that the "Cup Fungi" encompasses a huge number of species, most of which cannot be keyed out without a micoscope, so I haven't really narrowed things down much for you. But if you have the time to start looking through web photo's, I think you'd do well to start in [Discomycetes, perhaps Helotiales]

This looked like one of the better jumping off points for you. http://tinyurl.com/kxt38

 

well, i've looked around a little, haven't found anything.
I'll keep looking.

Also, thanks for tinyurl.com.
Its new to me.

 

No problem.

I asked Brian Spooner of Kew Gardens what he thought it might be, and he replied:

So, given his obvious expertise in such matters, I'll have to defer to his opinion in this matter. If you find a good match, let us know, OK? Hope this helps to get you a little closer.

 

I have not thought about this much until yesterday. I have come across the species again, in a different setting and time. The first time, it was late March, with snow on the ground, and I think it was on a ponderosa. Now its August, by a stream (nearly in it) on a soggy dead branch which is probably spruce.