ITALIC 8.0

Psilolechia leprosa Coppins & Purvis

Lichenologist, 19: 35, 1987.

Synonyms:

Distribution: S - Si.

Description: Thallus leprose-granular to granular-verrucose, episubstratic, ecorticate, continuous to cracked, effuse, whitish to pale greenish or yellowish grey, entirely consisting of mainly farinose, more or less globose, 17-30(-40) µm wide goniocysts surrounded by irregularly arranged hyphae. Apothecia rare, biatorine, convex to subglobose, immersed in the thallus, 0.1-0.5 mm across, sometimes confluent and appearing tuberculate, the aggregates up to 1.6 mm across, with a pale flesh-coloured to brown disc, without a distinct margin. Proper exciple very poorly developed; epithecium colourless, pinkish or brownish yellow, K-, N-; hymenium colourless, I+ blue; paraphyses simple or forked, the apices hardly swollen; hypothecium colourless. Asci cylindrical-clavate, the apical dome K/I+ pale blue, with a dark blue apical tube diverging towards the apex, the wall with a K/I+ dark blue outer layer. Ascospores 1-celled or rarely 1-septate, hyaline, oblong-ovoid to tear-shaped, 4.5-6.5(-7) x 1.3-1.8 µm. Photobiont chlorococcoid, the cells globose and 6-9 µm wide or ellipsoid and 6-12 x 7-8.5 µm. Spot tests: thallus K-, P-, KC-, C+ red, P-, UV+ glaucous. Chemistry: gyrophoric acid plus variable amounts of porphyrilic acid.

Note: on shaded surfaces of mineral-rich siliceous rocks, often under overhangs, with optimum in the montane belt; probably overlooked and more widespread, but certainly not common in Italy.

Growth form: Leprose

Substrata: rocks

Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia

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)

In underhangs rarely wetted by rain

Species of metal-rich rocks

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent

Subalpine belt: absent

Oromediterranean belt: absent

Montane belt: very rare

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

Index Fungorum GBIF

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

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

Herbarium: TSB (21219)
2003/03/12