Bilimbia microcarpa (Th. Fr.) Th. Fr.

Bot. Not.: 8, 1863. Basionym: Bilimbia obscurata var. microcarpa Th. Fr. - N. Acta Reg. Soc. Sci. Upsal., ser. 3, 3: 283, 1861.
Synonyms: Bacidia hypnophila subsp. microcarpa (Th. Fr.) H. Olivier; Bacidia microcarpa (Th. Fr.) Lettau; Lecidea meiobola Nyl.; Mycobilimbia microcarpa (Th. Fr.) Brunnb.; Myxobilimbia microcarpa (Th. Fr.) Hafellner
Distribution: N - Frl (Tretiach & Hafellner 2000, Breuss 2008), Ven (Nascimbene 2003b, Thor & Nascimbene 2007, Nascimbene & Marini 2007), TAA (Bilovitz & al. 2014b, Nascimbene & al. 2022), Lomb (UPS-L-160563), Piem (TSB 33079), Lig (TSB 33043). C - Abr (Nimis & Tretiach 1999, Di Nuzzo & al. 2021, Gheza & al. 2021, Vallese & al. 2022). S - Camp (Aprile & al. 2003b), Cal (Puntillo 1996).
Description: Thallus crustose, whitish to greenish white, continuous, granulose, poorly delimited. Apothecia frequent, biatorine, sessile, usually crowded, 0.5-0.8 mm across, with a reddish brown to blackish brown, sometimes somehow shiny, at first flat, then rapidly convex disc, and a thin, soon excluded proper margin. Proper exciple dark brown; epithecium pale brown to reddish brown, K-; hymenium colourless to pale brown in upper part, I+ blue; paraphyses simple, coherent, 1.5-2 µm thick at mid-level, the apical cells swollen; hypothecium pale reddish brown to colourless. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical-clavate, with a K/I+ blue apical dome penetrated by a narrow, K/I– apical cushion surrounded by an indistinct, apically often tapering, wall K/I– but surrounded by an I+ red-brown, K/I+ blue outer layer. Ascospores (1-)3-septate, hyaline, ellipsoid-cylindrical to fusiform, with a gelatinous, finely warted perispore (best visible in K or in old spores), 16-30 x (4-)5-6(-7) µm. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: thallus K-, C-, KC-, P-, UV-. Chemistry: without lichen substances.
Note: an arctic-alpine lichen found on mosses in dry grasslands of upland areas, sometimes on epilithic bryophytes, with optimum near or above treeline. The South Italian records should be checked, but are not excluded, since several "northern" species reach the mountains of Calabria and sometimes of Sicily.
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: extremely rare
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; Owner: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste
Herbarium: TSB (33043)
2001/12/10


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Courtesy: Olivier et Danièle Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_B/Textes_B2/Bilimbia_microcarpa.htm
France, Session AFL dans le Mercatour - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
19/7/2014


Ulrich Kirschbaum CC BY-SA 4.0 - Source: https://www.thm.de/lse/ulrich-kirschbaum/flechtenbilder
On mosses over calcareous rocks. Slovenia; Alps: Steiner Alm (1800 m above sea-level). Coll: M. Schessl (Nr. 8554).


Ulrich Kirschbaum CC BY-SA 4.0 - Source: https://www.thm.de/lse/ulrich-kirschbaum/flechtenbilder
On mosses over calcareous rocks. Slovenia; Alps: Steiner Alm (1800 m above sea-level). Coll: M. Schessl (Nr. 8554).


Ulrich Kirschbaum CC BY-SA 4.0 - Source: https://www.thm.de/lse/ulrich-kirschbaum/flechtenbilder
On mosses over calcareous rocks. Slovenia; Alps: Steiner Alm (1800 m above sea-level). Coll: M. Schessl (Nr. 8554).