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interesting combination of fungi on red cedar bark

  • 20 Sep 2018 9:25 PM
    Message # 6685611

    I think - Arthonia arthoniodes and 2 other fungi (assume parasitic) - see photos.



    Last modified: 20 Sep 2018 9:27 PM | Richard Droker
  • 21 Sep 2018 7:33 AM
    Reply # 6686163 on 6685611
    Bruce McCune (Administrator)

    I suspect that the white mazaedia-like structures are actually piles of conidia of Lecanactis megaspora. See Microlichens of the PNW p. 292. So perhaps there are three things in those photos...

  • 21 Sep 2018 11:09 AM
    Reply # 6686512 on 6685611

    That seems most likely. (Was I misled by the Trentepohlia?) Now I'm wondering if the Arthonia is lichenicolous on the Lecanactis or is the white thallus partly A. arthoniodes and partly L. megaspora. I'll examine the specimen more closely.


    Around 2am remembered lichenicolous fungi which are confined to the ascoma of their hosts. Find e.g. Arthonia intexta which occurs immersed in hymenium of Lecidella species. Need to look further into parasites of Lecanactis, and more carefully examine the black apothecia. Something like A. intexta seems the most likely explanation.

    Last modified: 22 Sep 2018 7:20 AM | Richard Droker
  • 22 Sep 2018 8:04 PM
    Reply # 6688146 on 6685611

    super exciting to keep delving... perhaps you could spend a year on this piece of bark!

  • 24 Sep 2018 8:05 AM
    Reply # 6689830 on 6685611

    I think one reason lichens are exciting is because they force you to look close, and very close, and so often you are surprised to find what’s there.

    Questioning “something like A. intexta” as the black convex ascoma are without apparent margins and don’t look like those of Lecanactis (which are pseudothecia rather than apothecia). Perhaps I’ll figure it out in a year’s time.

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