Staurothele rupifraga (A. Massal.) Arnold

Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 30: 149, 1880. Basionym: Polyblastia rupifraga A. Massal. - Geneac. Lich.: 24, 1854.
Synonyms: Polyblastia calcarea (Nyl.) Parrique; Polyblastia umbrina var. calcarea (Nyl.) Boistel; Sporodictyon rupifragum (A. Massal.) Trevis.; Verrucaria umbrina var. calcarea Nyl.
Distribution: N - Ven (Lazzarin 2000b), TAA (Nascimbene & al. 2007b, 2022), Lomb, VA (Piervittori & Isocrono 1999), Lig (Watson 2014, Giordani & al. 2016).
Description: Thallus crustose, mostly endosubstratic, grey-white to pale brownish grey, sometimes with minute brown specks. Perithecia numerous, black, without involucrellum, immersed in pits in the rock, 0.2-0.4 mm across. Exciple dark throughout in outer part, colourless within; hymenial gel I+ red (I+ blue at very low concentrations of iodine), K/I+ blue; hymenial algae isodiametrical to shortly oblong, 2-5 μm wide; hamathecium of periphyses and periphysoids, interascal filaments absent. Asci 2-4(-5)-spored, clavate, the wall thickened above, with an ocular chamber, after dehiscence with a delicate extruded endotunica, I-, K/I-. Ascospores muriform, soon dark brown to almost black, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, (30-)40-62 x 15-27 μm. Photobiont chlorococcoid, present in both thallus and hymenium. Spot tests: K-, C-, KC-, P-, UV-. Chemistry: without lichen substances.
Note: a probably arctic-alpine species found on hard limestone and dolomite near and above treeline. A dubious earlier record from Campania (see Nimis 1993: 669) is not accepted here.
Growth form: Crustose endolithic
Substrata: rocks
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: rather rare
Subalpine belt: 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:

12345

Solar irradiation:

12345

Aridity:

12345

Eutrophication:

12345

Poleotolerance:

0123

Altitudinal distribution:

123456


Predictive model
Herbarium samples


J. Nascimbene CC BY-SA 4.0
Italia, Trentino - Alto Adige



Juri Nascimbene - CC BY-SA 4.0
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige


Zschacke, H. (1934) Epigloeaceae, Verrucariaceae und Dermatocarpaceae. In: Dr. L. Rabenhorst‘s Kryptogamen-Flora, Band 9, Abt. 1, Teil 1. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Leipzig, 695 pp. - Public Domain



Juri Nascimbene - CC BY-SA 4.0
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige



J. Nascimbene CC BY-SA 4.0
Italia, Trentino - Alto Adige