Tetramelas insignis (Hepp) Kalb

in Döbbeler & Rambold, Bibl. Lichenol., 88: 323, 2004. Basionym: Lecidea insignis Nägeli ex Hepp - Flecht. Eur.: nr. 39, 1853.
Synonyms: Buellia disciformis var. insignis (Hepp) Flagey; Buellia epigaea var. cacuminum (A. Massal.) Jatta; Buellia insignis (Hepp) Körb.; Buellia parasema var. albocincta Th. Fr.; Buellia parasema var. muscorum (Schaer.) Th. Fr.; Diploicia cacuminum A. Massal.
Distribution: N - Frl (Tretiach & Hafellner 2000), Ven (Lazzarin 2000b), TAA (Bilovitz & al. 2014, Nascimbene & al. 2022), Lomb, Piem, VA (Piervittori & Isocrono 1999, Piervittori & al. 2004). C - Abr (Jatta 1909-1911), Sar (Jatta 1909-1911). S - Pugl (Jatta 1909-1911).
Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic, whitish, grey or rarely ochraceous, usually thick and granular-warted, continuous, without a distinct prothallus. Apothecia lecideine, black, (0.5-)0.7-1(-1.5) mm across, abundant and often confluent, subimmersed to adnate, rarely sessile, with a flat to convex, sometimes initially pruinose disc, and an initially thick, but finally excluded proper margin. Proper exciple 70-100 µm wide, dark brown throughout, the pigment giving a K+ yellow solution; epithecium green-brown, N+ red; hymenium colourless, not inspersed with oil droplets, 100-130 µm high; paraphyses branched in upper part, the apical cell strongly swollen, 4-7 µm wide, with a brown cap; hypothecium dark brown, with oil droplets. Asci 8-spored, clavate to cylindrical-clavate, the apical dome K/I+ dark blue with a pale, conical-pointed apical cushion (axial mass), the wall I-, but the thin outer gel I+ blue, Bacidia-type. Ascospores 1(-2)-septate, brown, ellipsoid, often curved, (19-)21-27(-32) x (8-)9-11(-13) µm, resembling the Callispora-type when young, Buellia-type when mature, with pointed apices and rugulate walls. Pycnidia rare, black. Conidia bacilliform, 4-5 µm long. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: thallus K+ yellowish, C-, but C+ intensely yellow-orange under the dissecting microscope, KC+ orange-yellow, P- or P+ pale yellow, UV+ brownish orange (reactions best seen in thick sections under the dissecting microscope). Chemistry: 6-O-methylarthothelin (major), arthothelin (traces or absent), atranorin (traces).
Note: a species of the high European mountains found on terricolous mosses and plant debris, rarely on rock, lignum and bark, especially on basal parts of trunks; most frequent in the Alps; the records by Jatta from Central and Southern Italy require confirmation.
Growth form: Crustose
Substrata: soil, terricolous mosses, and plant debris
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: rather rare
Subalpine belt: rather common
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:

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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


P.L. Nimis CC BY-SA 4.0
TSB 3598


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_T/Textes_T2/Tetramelas_insignis.htm
France, 9/10/2014 - gorges de la Restonica, alt. 1370 m - Corse