ITALIC 8.0

Verrucaria weddellii Servít

Stud. Bot. Cech., 7: 80, 1946.

Synonyms: Verrucaria transiliens auct. non (Arnold) Lettau

Distribution: N - Ven (TSB 10446), TAA (Nascimbene 2005), Piem, Emil (Nimis & al. 1996, Fariselli & al. 2020), Lig. C - Marc (Nimis & Tretiach 1999), Umb (Genovesi & al. 2002, Ravera & al. 2006). S - Pugl (Nimis & Tretiach 1999), Bas (Nimis & Tretiach 1999).

Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic, rimose-areolate, brown, smooth to slightly rough, 0.2-0.4 mm thick, the areoles angular, flat to slightly convex, 0.3-0.6 mm wide, incompletely subdivided by cracks. Cortex 10-20 µm thick, overlain by a thin epinecral layer; algal layer 50-100 µm thick; medulla subparaplectenchymatous, with a colourless upper part and brownish lower zone with substrate particles and crystals, without a black basal layer. Perithecia black, 1-3 per areole, remaining immersed in raised portions of the areoles and almost completely covered with a thalline layer, only the very tips naked. Involucrellum extending almost to base-level, laterally 40-80 µm thick, slightly thinning toward the base, arching slightly away from exciple, the space inbetween pale and packed with crystals; exciple subglobose, 0.3-0.4 mm across, the wall 20-25 µm thick, brown to brown-black; hamathecium of branched-anastomosing periphyses and periphysoids measuring 35-50 x 2.5-4 µm, interascal filaments absent; hymenial gel hemiamyloid, I+ red (I+ blue at very low concentrations of I), K/I+ blue. Asci 8-spored, clavate, I-, fissitunicate, the wall thickened above, with an ocular chamber, dehiscent by extrusion of an endotunica to form a delicate rostrum, Verrucaria-type. Ascospores 1-celled, hyaline, ellipsoid or oblong-ovoid, 20-25 x 9-12 µm. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: K-, C-, KC-, P-, UV-. Chemistry: without lichen substances.

Note: this species was almost always confused with V. transiliens by Italian authors; I have placed here all records by Italian authors of V. transiliens except those by Sbarbaro, whose material was probably identified by Servít. The species grows on porous calciferous rocks with temporary seepage of water after rain, in rather sheltered situations. For further details see Breuss (2004) and Roux & coll. (2014: 1265).

Growth form: Crustose

Substrata: rocks

Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia

Reproductive strategy: mainly sexual

Poorly known taxon in need of further study

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent

Subalpine belt: absent

Oromediterranean belt: absent

Montane belt: rare

Submediterranean belt: rather rare

Padanian area: extremely rare

Humid submediterranean belt: rather rare

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

Source: Servit, M 1949: Nove nebo mene zname druhy lisejnikove celedi Verrucariaceae. Species Verrucariacearum (Lichenes) novae vel minus cognitae. - Sbornik Narodniho Musea v Praze 5(9): 1-51. Tab.3 - Public Domain