Candelariella reflexa (Nyl.) Lettau

Hedwigia, 52: 196, 1912. Basionym: Lecanora vitellina var. reflexa Nyl. - Bull. Soc. Bot. France, 16: 241, 1866.
Synonyms: Caloplaca reflexa (Nyl.) Flagey; Lecanora reflexa (Nyl.) Nyl.
Distribution: N - VG (Castello 1996, 2002 Carvalho 1997, Martellos & Castello 2004, Castello & Skert 2005), Frl (Badin & Nimis 1996, Castello & Skert 2005, Nascimbene & al. 2009b, Bernini & al. 2010), Ven (Nimis & al. 1996c, Lazzarin 1997, 2000, Caniglia & al. 1999, Valcuvia & al. 2000c, Nascimbene 2005c, 2008, 2008c, Nascimbene & al. 2007, 2008e, 2012, 2015, Nascimbene & Marini 2010), TAA (Nascimbene 2006c, 2014, Nascimbene & al. 2007b, 2014, 2022, Lang 2009, Zarabska & al. 2009, Brackel 2013, Nimis & al. 2015), Lomb (Arosio & Rinaldi 1995, Valcuvia & Brusoni 1996, Brusoni & al. 1997, Zocchi & al. 1997, Roella 1999, Brusoni & Valcuvia 2000, Arosio & al. 2000, 2003, Valcuvia & al. 2003, Valcuvia & Truzzi 2007b, Furlanetto 2010, Brackel 2013, Gheza 2019b, Gheza & al. 2020, 2022, 2023), Piem (Arosio & al. 1998, Isocrono & Falletti 1999, Piervittori 2003, Castino 2004, Isocrono & al. 2004, 2006, 2007, Isocrono & Piervittori 2008, Furlanetto 2010, Matteucci & al. 2010, Giordani & Malaspina 2016), VA (Piervittori & Maffei 1996, 2001, Piervittori & Isocrono 1999, Valcuvia & al. 2000b), Emil (Bassi 1995, Gasparo & Tretiach 1996, Nimis & al. 1996, Sallese 2003, Marconi & al. 2006, Morselli & Regazzi 2006, Cioffi 2009, Benesperi 2009, Malavasi 2014, Gerdol & al. 2014, Fariselli & al. 2020, Brackel 2025), Lig (Castello & al. 1994, Giordani & al. 2002, 2025, Brunialti & Giordani 2003, Giordani 2006, Giordani & Incerti 2008). C - Tosc (Loppi & Corsini 1995, 2003, Loppi & Putortì 1995, 1995b, 2001, Loppi & al. 1995, 1996, 1996b, 1996c, 1997, 1997b, 1997e, 1998, 2002, 2002b, 2002c, 2003, 2004, 2006, Loppi 1996, 1996b, 1999a, 1998b, Loppi & De Dominicis 1996, Monaci & al. 1997, Putortì & al. 1998, 1999, Bacci & al. 2000, Benesperi 2000a, Paoli & Loppi 2001, Frati & al. 2006b, 2007, Paoli & Loppi 2008, Loppi & Nascimbene 2010, Brunialti & Frati 2010, Loppi & Baragatti 2011, Brunialti & al. 2012b, Nascimbene & al. 2012, 2015, Paoli & al. 2012, 2012b, 2013, 2015d, Brackel 2015, Frati & Brunialti 2023), Marc (Nimis & Tretiach 1999, Frati & Brunialti 2006), Umb (Ravera 2000, Panfili 2000b, Ravera & al. 2006), Laz (Massari & Ravera 2002, Nimis & Tretiach 2004, Ruisi & al. 2005, Munzi & al. 2007, Ravera & Genovesi 2008), Abr (Recchia & al. 1993, Olivieri & Pacioni 1996, Recchia & Villa 1996, Olivieri & al. 1997, 1997b, Loppi & al. 1999, Stofer 2006, Brackel 2015, Caporale & al. 2016, Corona & al. 2016, Gheza & al. 2021), Mol (Nimis & Tretiach 1999, Caporale & al. 2008, Genovesi & Ravera 2014, Paoli & al. 2015, Caporale & Ravera 2020), Sar (Zedda 2002, Rizzi & al. 2011, Di Nuzzo & al. 2022). S - Camp (Aprile & al. 2003b, Nimis & Tretiach 2004, Garofalo & al. 2010, Ravera & Brunialti 2013, Catalano & al. 2016), Pugl (Nimis & Tretiach 1999, Brackel 2011), Bas (Nimis & Tretiach 1999, Paoli & al. 2006, Brackel 2011), Cal (Puntillo 1996, Puntillo & Puntillo 2004, Incerti & Nimis 2006), Si (Merlo 1993, Grillo & Caniglia 2004, 2006, Caniglia & Grillo 2006b, Brackel 2008c).
Description: Thallus crustose, episubstratic areolate-subsquamulose, sorediate, the areoles abundant, well-developed, aggregated, sometimes forming distinct rosettes, flat to convex, often incised, greenish to yellow, up to 0.6 mm wide and 130 μm thick. Cortex 5-15 μm thick, consisting of 1-3 layers of more or less isodiametric cells; algal layer 40-75 μm thick; medulla spongy, of very loose, elongated hyphae. Soralia initially emerging from the middle of the areoles, 0.2.0.45 mm in diam., at first crateriform, later convex, sometimes becoming confluent but almost never forming large sorediate crusts. Soredia 40-70 μm in diam., the photobiont cells enclosed by 1-2 layers of 3-6 μm thick hyphae with some yellow-brown pigment. Apothecia rare, clearly lecanorine only when young, later appearing biatorine, 0.3-1.3 mm across, with an initially flat, then soon convex, yellow-orange to orange disc and an irregular, incomplete, soon excluded thalline margin. Thalline exciple c. 100 μm thick, with a paraplectenchymatous cortex; proper exciple up to 120 μm thick in upper part, of radiating hyphae with rectangular cells; epithecium yellow-brown, with a layer of yellow-brown granules insoluble in K, that sometimes extend downwards inbetween the paraphyses; hymenium colourless, 60-100 μm high; paraphyses simple or sparingly branched, 2.2-3.5 μm thick, the apical cells not or only slightly swollen; hypothecium colourless, with oil droplets. Asci 8-spored, clavate, with an apical dome which is I+ blue only in the internal, lower part, interrupted in the centre by a I+ paler blue strip, Candelaria-type. Ascospores 1-celled or rarely 1-septate, hyaline, narrowly ellipsoid, sometimes narrowing at one end, often guttulate, 12-18 x 4.5-6 μm. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: K-, C-, KC-, P-. Chemistry: pulvinic acid derivatives.
Note: a mild-temperate, holarctic lichen found on isolated trees, especially along waysides and in agricultural areas, somehow rarer along the Adriatic side of the Peninsula, and rare throughout Mediterranean Italy, very common elsewhere in the submediterranean belt. Some records could refer to the recently-described C. pulchella. For further details see van der Kolk & al. (2025).
Growth form: Crustose
Substrata: bark
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly asexual, by soredia, or soredia-like structures (e.g. blastidia)

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent
Subalpine belt: absent
Oromediterranean belt: absent
Montane belt: rare
Submediterranean belt: very common
Padanian area: rather common
Humid submediterranean belt: very common
Humid mediterranean belt: rather rare
Dry mediterranean belt: extremely rare

pH of the substrata:

12345

(info)

Solar irradiation:

12345

(info)

Aridity:

12345

(info)

Eutrophication:

12345

(info)

Poleotolerance:

0123

(info)

Altitudinal distribution:

123456

(info)


Predictive model
Herbarium samples
INDEX FUNGORUM GBIF DOLICHENS


P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (17749)
2001/11/19



P.L. Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (17749)
2002/05/13



Andrea Moro; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, TS, Basovizza; altitude: 2
2008.02.21
with several other lichens



Andrea Moro; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, TS, Basovizza; altitude: 2
2008.02.21



P.L.Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (20966)
2008.03.03



P.L.Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (20966)
2008.03.03



P.L.Nimis; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (20966)
2008.03.03


Walter Obermayer CC BY-SA 4.0 - Source: Lichens of Noricum - http://lichens-of-noricum.uni-graz.at/


Walter Obermayer CC BY-SA 4.0 - Source: Lichens of Noricum - http://lichens-of-noricum.uni-graz.at/


Walter Obermayer CC BY-SA 4.0 - Source: Lichens of Noricum - http://lichens-of-noricum.uni-graz.at/


Bernaard Bouffinier - Source: Aber
France, Roscoff