ITALIC 7.0

Leptogium burnetiae C.W. Dodge

Beih. Nova Hedwigia, 12: 120, 1964.

Synonyms: Leptogium menziesii f. fuliginosum Müll. Arg.; Leptogium menziesii var. coralloideum Jatta

Distribution: N - Lomb, Lig (Brunialti & al. 1999). C - Tosc (Benesperi & al. 2007), Laz (Ravera 2008).

Description: Thallus foliose, subgelatinous when wet, bluish grey, 3-10(-15) cm wide, loosely adnate; lobes elongate, 3-10(-15) mm broad, 100-150 µm thick, with rounded apices and often upturned margins, isidiate, the isidia cylindrical, simple or branched-coralloid, often clustered, usually concolorous with lobes, sometimes with a minute pit at apex. Lower surface with a dense white tomentum of cylindrical, 0.2-1 mm long hairs composed of cylindrical cells. Upper and lower cortex consisting of a single layer of cells; inner part without medulla, with loosely interwoven chains of Nostoc and hyphae. Apothecia rare, lecanorine, substipitate, 0.5-3 mm across, with a brown to red-brown, flat to convex disc, and an isidiate, persistent thalline margin. Proper exciple euparaplectenchymatous, 20-25 µm wide laterally; epithecium brown; hymenium colourless, 100-130 µm high; paraphyses mostly simple, 1-2 µm thick at mid-level, the apical cells slightly swollen; hypothecium colourless or pale yellow Asci 8-spored, cylindrical-clavate, the apex strongly thickened, the apical dome K/I+ pale blue, with a downwardly projecting K/I+ deep blue tubular structure. Ascospores submuriform, hyaline, ellipsoid to subfusiform, 30-45 x 12-18 µm. Photobiont cyanobacterial (Nostoc, the cells in long chains). Spot tests: all negative. Chemistry: without lichen substances.

Note: a mild-temperate species found on the often mossy bark of isolated trees, especially Fraxinus. A revision of herbarium material is much needed: several Italian records of L. saturninum could refer to this species.

Growth form: Foliose, broad lobed

Substrata: bark

Photobiont: cyanobacteria, filamentous (e.g. Nostoc, Scytonema)

Reproductive strategy: mainly asexual, by soredia, or soredia-like structures (e.g. blastidia)

Most common in areas with a humid-warm climate (e.g. most of Tyrrenian Italy)

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent

Subalpine belt: absent

Oromediterranean belt: absent

Montane belt: rare

Submediterranean belt: extremely rare

Padanian area: absent

Humid submediterranean belt: extremely rare

Humid mediterranean belt: absent

Dry mediterranean belt: absent

pH of the substrata:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Solar irradiation:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Aridity:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Eutrophication:

1

2

3

4

5

(info)

Poleotolerance:

0

1

2

3

(info)

Altitudinal distribution:

1

2

3

4

5

6

(info)

Predictive model

Herbarium samples

Index Fungorum GBIF

Silvered Vinyl Lichen Wikimedia Commons (uploaded by Amada 44) – CC BY-SA 2.0

Canada, British Columbia

E. Pittao; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste

Herbarium: TSB (27238)
2008.03.10
lower surface

E. Pittao; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste

Herbarium: TSB (27238)
2008.03.10
lower surface

E. Pittao; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste

Herbarium: TSB (29224)
2008.03.10
lower surface

P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste

Herbarium: TSB (29021)
2003/03/12

Curtis Randall Björk – CC BY-SA 4.0

British Columbia, Clearwater Valley Date: 2012-04-08 On decorticated branch of Juniperus scopulorum, near rocky river shore