Rhizocarpon ferax H. Magn.

Bot. Not., 101: 405, 1948.
Synonyms:
Distribution: N - TAA (Nascimbene 2005).
Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic, pale yellow-green to yellow-grey, areolate, forming 0.5-1 cm rarely up to 3 cm wide patches, usually delimited by a black prothallus, the areoles 0.5-1(-1.4) mm wide, usually scattered over a black hypothallus, rarely forming a continuous crust, mostly crescent-shaped around the apothecia, convex, smooth, dull. Cortex poorly differentiated, c. 40 µm thick; medulla white, I+ blue. Apothecia lecideine, black, 0.4-0.7 mm across, round to weakly angular, with a concave to flat disc and a rather thick, persistent proper margin. Proper exciple brownish, K+ purple-red; epithecium greenish brown to green, K- or K+ intensifying green; hymenium colourless to greenish in upper part, 130-200 µm high; paraphysoids coherent, branched and anastomosing, the apical cells clavate; hypothecium brownish, 50-200 µm high, K-. Asci 8-spored, clavate, fissitunicate, with a well-developed tholus that is K/I- in lower part and K/I+ blue near the apex, lacking an ocular chamber, Rhizocarpon-type. Ascospores muriform, with (8-)12-16(-18) cells visible in optical view, dark brown, ellipsoid 25-40 x 12-14(-18) µm, halonate when young. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: medulla K-, C-, KC-, P+ yellow-orange. Chemistry: cortex with rhizocarpic acid, medulla with psoromic acid.
Note: on siliceous rocks near and above treeline, starting the life-cycle on other crustose lichens; probably more widespread in the Alps.
Growth form: Crustose
Substrata: rocks
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual
paras crustose lichens

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: very rare
Subalpine belt: very rare
Oromediterranean belt: absent
Montane belt: rare
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

Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php (Courtesy: Anita Stridvall)


Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php (Courtesy: Anita Stridvall)


Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php (Courtesy: Anita Stridvall)


Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php (Courtesy: Anita Stridvall)


Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php (Courtesy: Anita Stridvall)


Leif Stridvall - Source: http://www.stridvall.se/la/galleries.php (Courtesy: Anita Stridvall)