Sphaerophorus fragilis (L.) Pers.

Sphaerophorus fragilis (L.) Pers.

Ann. Bot. (Usteri), 7: 23, 1794. Basionym: Lichen fragilis L. - Sp. Pl.: 1154, 1753.

Synonyms: Lichen caespitosus Roth nom.illegit.; Sphaerophorus caespitosus DC.; Sphaerophorus coralloides var. caespitosus (DC.) Turner & Borrer

Distribution: N - Frl (Tretiach & Hafellner 2000, Puntillo & Puntillo 2009), TAA (Puntillo & Puntillo 2009, Nascimbene & al. 2022), Lomb (Dalle Vedove & al. 2004, Puntillo & Puntillo 2009, Gheza 2019), Piem (Isocrono & al. 2004, Puntillo & Puntillo 2009), VA (Piervittori & Isocrono 1999, Puntillo & Puntillo 2009), Emil (Puntillo & Puntillo 2009, Fariselli & al. 2020).

Description: Thallus fruticose, pale whitish grey to grey-brownish, shrubby, forming very dense, coralloid, up to 4 cm tall tufts. Branches 0.4-0.8 mm thick, fragile, smooth, ascending to erect, subterete, more or less branched, the main branches not differentiated, hence branches of the same thickness; fertile branches rarely present, usually taller and rising above the cushions, 0.5-1.1 mm wide. Cortex of anticlinally arranged hyphae; medulla white, of longitudinally arranged, thick-walled hyphae, I-. Apothecia extremely rare, terminal, 1-3 mm across, with a black, subglobose disc and a persisting thalline margin. Proper exciple thin, poorly evident; epithecium soon disintegrating, brown to green, N+ red; paraphyses thread-like, strongly carbonized, soon disintegrating; hypothecium brown-black or rarely colourless. Asci 8-spored, soon disintegrating, cylindrical, unitunicate, thin-walled, formed singly from ascogenous hyphae with croziers, Calicium-type, with uniseriately arranged spores. Ascospores 1-celled, deep violet to almost black, subglobose, thick-walled, 8-12 µm in diam, the wall with a dark, irregular ornamentation. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: cortex K-, C-, KC-, P-; medulla K- or K+ yellow, C-, KC-, P- or P+ yellow, UV+ blue-white. Chemistry: sphaerophorin, and variable amounts of hypothamnolic and squamatic acids.

Note: an arctic-alpine to boreal-montane, circumpolar lichen of siliceous rocks and mineral soil in very rainy areas, near or above treeline; probably restricted to the Alps and the Northern Apennines in Italy.

Growth form: Fruticose

Substrata: rocks, soil, terricolous mosses, and plant debris

Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia

Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: extremely rare

Subalpine belt: extremely rare

Oromediterranean belt: absent

Montane belt: absent

Submediterranean belt: absent

Padanian area: absent

Humid submediterranean belt: absent

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

Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php

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

Herbarium: TSB (3856)
2001/11/30

Leif Stridvall

Courtesy: Anita Stridvall

Leif Stridvall

Courtesy: Anita Stridvall

Leif Stridvall

Courtesy: Anita Stridvall

Leif Stridvall

Courtesy: Anita Stridvall

Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0

TSB 37395

Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0

TSB 37395

Mark Rahill - CC BY-SA 4.0

USA

P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0

TSB 44139

P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0

TSB 44139

P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0

TSB 44139

Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_S/Sphaerophorus_fragilis.htm

France, 26/9/2014 - Argentières, Les Grands Autannes - Savoie

Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_S/Sphaerophorus_fragilis.htm

France, 26/9/2014 - Argentières, Les Grands Autannes - Savoie

Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_S/Sphaerophorus_fragilis.htm

France, 26/9/2014 - Argentières, Les Grands Autannes - Savoie

Ulrich Kirschbaum

Sweden: Dalarna.

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