Thyrea plectopsora A. Massal.

Sched. Crit., 4: 75, n 110, 1856.
Synonyms: Omphalaria camaromorpha A. Massal.?; Thyrea phylliscoides (Nyl.) Zahlbr.
Distribution: N - VG, Ven (Lazzarin 2000b), Lig (Lazzarin 2000b, Schultz 2014). C - Tosc, Sar (TSB 13427). S - Camp (Nimis & Tretiach 2004).
Description: Thallus squamulose to foliose-umbilicate, monophyllous, gelatinous when wet. Squamules orbicular, up to 3 mm across, weakly lobulate, dark olive brown, attached by a central point, the margins clearly ascending. Thallus ecorticate, photobiont layer to 200 μm thick, with mainly anticlinally oriented hyphae; medulla to 250 μm thick, of irregularly arranged, lax hyphae. Apothecia immersed or semi-immersed, hemiangiocarpic, forming pycnoascocarps from ascogonia beneath pycnidia, with an initially punctiform, later somewhat expanded, concave, reddish brown, up to 0.3 mm wide disc, and a thin thalline margin. Proper exciple cupular, 20-25 μm wide; epithecium poorly differentiated; hymenium colourless, to 150 μm thick; paraphyses 2-2,5 μm thick, septate, anastomosing, simple or weakly branched; hypothecium colourless. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical, thin-walled, with an I+ blue external cap. Ascospores 1-celled, hyaline, globose to broadly ellipsoid, 9-14 x 6-7 μm. Pycnidia globose, immersed, unilocular. Conidia 1–celled, ellipsoid, 2-3 x 1.5- 2 μm. Photobiont cyanobacterial, chroococcoid, with a few cells surrounded by a brownish gelatinous sheath. Spot test: all negative. Chemistry: without lichen substances.
Note: on steeply inclined seepage tracks of calcareous rocks at relatively low elevations. The taxonomic position of this taxon is still not clear (see Nimis 1993: 696).
Growth form: Squamulose
Substrata: rocks
Photobiont: cyanobacteria, coccaceous (e.g. Gloeocapsa)
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual
On otherwise dry surfaces with short periods of water seepage after rain

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

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

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

Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Thyrea_plectopsora.htm
France, Saut du Moine, 480 m Simiane-la-Rotonde - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Thyrea_plectopsora.htm
France, Saut du Moine, 480 m Simiane-la-Rotonde - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Thyrea_plectopsora.htm
France, Saut du Moine, 480 m Simiane-la-Rotonde - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence


Pier Luigi Nimis
Herbarium: TSB (13427)