Northwest Lichenologists

Unknown brown spored crustose

  • 23 May 2016 4:07 PM
    Message # 4035511

    I found this brown spored lichen in the biocrust and it is giving me some trouble. The spores are 1 septate and pseudomuriform, and fit the general size of Rinodina terrestris or R. olivaceobrunnea, but the spore appearance is not the same. The spores almost looks like Buellia terricola, but the thallus and the apos don't match, and it is C-, and spores are much too small for that. Thumbing through the book (which is falling apart now!) I stumbled on Phaeophyscia decolor. The appearance looks plausible, and the black stuff underneath fits, but there isn't much info about it and I see that it is pretty uncommon on soil. Perhaps a different species of Rinodina?

  • 30 May 2016 10:27 PM
    Reply # 4048232 on 4035511

    Is it growing on a moss?  Try  Lempholemma polyanthes http://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=55709 and for photo http://www.lichenology.info/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=atlas_frm&newId=1226


  • 31 May 2016 9:52 AM
    Reply # 4049350 on 4035511

    Thanks Larry. The superficial appearance looks possible, and I have zero knowledge of Lempholemma, but according to Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region that species has hyaline spores and my unknown has septate dark spores.


    "ascospores: simple, hyaline, ellipsoid to broad ellipsoid, (7.5-)10-17.5(-20) x 7.5-12.5(-15) µm"

  • 31 May 2016 1:53 PM
    Reply # 4049777 on 4035511

    Thank you for the input it helps me determine gaps in the database.  

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