| Aspicilia phaea | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Pertusariales |
| Family: | Megasporaceae |
| Genus: | Aspicilia |
| Species: | A. phaea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aspicilia phaea Owe-Larss. & A.Nordin (2007)
| |
Aspicilia phaea (dusky sunken disk lichen) is a grayish brown to tan areolate crustose lichen commonly found on rock in coastal to inland parts of central and southern California. Described as new to science in 2007, [1]: 227 [2] it is endemic to (only found in) California. [3] It grows on exposed or partially shaded siliceous rock, with a few known occurrences on serpentine rock. [2]
In rare cases full areolas do not form, and it appears as being cracked ( rimose). [1] [2] There are often grayish or whitish spots on the areolas. [2] The thallus is 2–8 cm in diameter, and 0.1– 1.2 mm thick. [2] The areolas are irregularly sized and angular, giving the lichen body ( thallus) the appearance of a mosaic of small polygons. [1] [2] A rim of dark tissue ( prothallus) may surround the edges of the lichen. [1] [2] The fruiting body parts ( apothecia) are flat to concave (especially in the thallus center), and slightly immersed in the thallus, appearing as sunken round to polygonal discs, often with a grey or white rim of thalline tissue. [1] [2] Lichen spot tests are all negative (K−, C−, KC−, P−). [1] [2]
The photobiont is a chlorococcoid. [2] In Joshua Tree National Park, it is commonly found to be infected with Lichenostigma, a genus or lichenicolous fungi (fungi that are parasitic on lichens). [3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0-300-19500-2
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3, Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bugartz, F., (eds.) 2001, [1]
- ^ a b The Lichen Flora of Joshua Tree National Park An Annotated Checklist, Kerry Knudsen, Mitzi Harding, Josh Hoines, National Park Service, [2]
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