Micarea nitschkeana (Rabenh.) Harm.

Bull. Soc. Sc. Nancy, 2, 33: 64, 1899. Basionym: Bilimbia nitschkeana J. Lahm ex Rabenh. - Lich. Eur. Exs.: nr. 583, 1861.
Synonyms: Bacidia nitschkeana (Rabenh.) Zahlbr.; Bacidia spododes (Nyl.) Zahlbr.; Bilimbia spododes (Nyl.) Arnold; Lecidea nitschkeana (Rabenh.) Stizenb.; Lecidea spododes Nyl.
Distribution: N - TAA (Nimis & al. 2015, Nascimbene & al. 2022), Lomb (Alessio & al. 1995). C - Tosc (Loppi & Putortì 2001), Umb (Ravera 2000, Ravera & al. 2006).
Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic, of convex areoles, rarely endosubstratic and indistinct, white to pale grey, ecorticate. Apothecia micareoid, sessile, 0.1-0.3(-0.5) mm across, dark grey to black (rarely paler in shade-forms), often confluent, with a strongly convex, epruinose disc, without a proper margin. Proper exciple poorly developed, evident only in very young apothecia, of radiating hyphae, the outer part sometimes olivaceous green and K+ violet; epithecium grey-green, K+ violet; hymenium colourless or greenish in upper part, 25-40 µm high, C+ pink; paraphyses numerous, branched and anastomosing, 1-1.5 µm wide, not capitate; hypothecium colourless, 30-40 µm high. Asci 8-spored, clavate to cylindrical-clavate, with an unstained wall and a K/I+ blue outer layer and apical dome, the latter with a non-amyloid, cylindrical axial mass. Ascospores (1-)3(-4) septate, hyaline fusiform, slightly curved, 10-17(-19) x 2.5-3.5 µm. Pycnidia immersed to emergent, grey to black, the wall with a greenish, K+ violet pigment. Conidia of three types: a) macroconidia, curved, 1-3 septate, 12-24 x 1 µm; b) mesoconidia, 1-celled, 3.5-5 x 1-1.5 µm, and, c) microconidia, 1-celled, 5.5-7.5 x 0.7-0.8 µm. Photobiont micareoid, the cells 4-7 μm wide. Spot tests: thallus K-, C- or C+ red, KC- or KC+ red, P - (reactions best observed in thick microscopic sections). Chemistry: variable amounts of gyrophoric acid in thallus and apothecia, sometimes Sedifolia-grey pigment in apothecia and pycnidia.
Note: on twigs and small branches of conifers and, more rarely, of acid-barked deciduous trees and small shrubs, occasionally also on lignum. Known from a few localities in the Central Alps and the Northern Apennines. It is included in the Italian red list of epiphytic lichens as “Vulnerable” (Nascimbene & al. 2013c).
Growth form: Crustose
Substrata: bark
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent
Subalpine belt: extremely rare
Oromediterranean belt: absent
Montane belt: extremely rare
Submediterranean belt: absent
Padanian area: absent
Humid submediterranean belt: extremely rare
Humid mediterranean belt: absent
Dry mediterranean belt: absent

pH of the substrata:

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Solar irradiation:

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Aridity:

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Eutrophication:

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Poleotolerance:

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Altitudinal distribution:

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Predictive model
Herbarium samples


P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 8225



P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (8225)
2001/11/27



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 8225



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 8225



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 8225



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 8225


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_M/Texte_M2/Micarea_nitschkeana.htm
France, Thoiry, 1315 m - Ain - (01) - sur écorce de Pinus
26/8/2017