Rhizocarpon alpicola (Wahlenb.) Rabenh.

Flecht. Eur., 22: 618, 1861. Basionym: Lecidea atrovirens var. alpicola Wahlenb. - Fl. Lapp.: 474, 1812.
Synonyms: Buellia alpicola (Wahlenb.) Anzi; Catocarpus chionophilus (Th. Fr.) Stein; Catocarpus oreites (Vain.) Eitner; Diplotomma geographicum f. conglomeratum (Fr.) Jatta; Lecidea alpicola (Wahlenb.) Hepp; Lecidea geographica var. alpicola (Wahlenb.) Schaer.; Rhizocarpon chionophilum Th. Fr.; Rhizocarpon conglomeratum (Fr.) Räsänen; Rhizocarpon geographicum f. conglomeratum (Fr.) A. Massal.; Rhizocarpon geographicum var. alpicola (Wahlenb.) A. Massal.; Rhizocarpon geographicum var. geronticum (Ach.) Räsänen; Rhizocarpon geronticum (Ach.) H. Magn. comb. inval.; Rhizocarpon oreites (Vain.) Zahlbr.; Rhizocarpon ridniense Räsänen
Distribution: N - Frl (Tretiach & Hafellner 2000), TAA (Ravera & al. 2019b, Nascimbene & al. 2022), Lomb, Piem (Isocrono & al. 2004), VA (Borlandelli & al. 1996, Piervittori & Isocrono 1997, 1999), Emil (Fariselli & al. 2020).
Description: Thallus crustose, yellow-green, whitish-yellow or bright yellow, areolate, forming patches 5-15(-20) cm in diam., delimited by a black prothallus which is also visible as a hypothallus between the areoles. Areoles rounded and convex to angular and flat, dispersed to contiguous, 0.3-1.5(-3) mm in diam., usually subdivided into smaller parts by several cracks. Cortex 30-50 µm thick; medulla white, I-. Apothecia frequent, lecideine, arising between the areoles, round or angular, 0.5-1.5 mm across, with a black, flat to weakly convex, epruinose disc, and a very thin, soon excluded proper margin. Proper exciple brownish red, K+ reddish-violet; epithecium reddish brown, K+ red; hymenium colourless 110-150 µm high, K/I+blue; paraphysoids strongly conglutinated, richly branched and anastomosing, slightly clavate; hypothecium dark brown, K-, 100-200 µm high. Asci 8-spored, clavate, fissitunicate, with a well-developed tholus, lacking an ocular chamber, Rhizocarpon-type. Ascospores 1-septate, dark brown, ellipsoid, 18-35 x 9-17 µm, halonate. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: medulla K-, C-, KC-, P+ bright yellow. Chemistry: cortex with rhizocarpic acid; medulla with psoromic acid.
Note: an arctic-alpine, circumpolar lichen found on horizontal to weakly inclined surfaces of hard siliceous rocks with a long snow-lie in cold situations.
Growth form: Crustose
Substrata: rocks
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: very common
Subalpine belt: rather common
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:

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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
Index Fungorum GBIF


P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 04
TSB 38574



P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (28211)
2001/11/30


Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
Herbarium: TSB 27914 as Rhizocarpon chionophilum



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 37848



P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (28211)
2001/11/30



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 38590



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 38722



Pier Luigi Nimis - CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 38574