CA, Mojave Desert, 20060329
Providence Mts, many lichens. 

Arrowhead Spring area. (Actually Providence Mts, probably, but the geology is identical to the Granites so I call them an extension of those instead.)

Spores and asci, at 400x.  Arrow points to only asci where I might be able vaguely to make out the proper thollus shape.  (No stain used here.)Thallus and apo, at 10x. Thallus and apo, at 30x. Thallus, at 30x. Thallus and apo, at 30x. 

Candelariella rosulans 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus v minutely areolate to lobed, v convex, areoles 0.1-0.2mm?, dk yell to orangish yell, finely roughened at 30x, K-
apothecia lecanorine disk, raised and rather constricted bel, thick pillowed roughened marg, disk brownish yell and somewhat granular, hypothecium colorless
spores 16-18x5-6um, 8 per ascus, long irreg ellip, smooth, 1 cell, clear
ascus v thick tip, structure not clear, seems either trunc to shallowly v-notched with rather thicker walls than usual

Spores, at 400x.  These free spores look clearly 1-celled. Ascus, at 400x.  Spores here look clearly 2-celled, these spores 10x5um. Asci, at 400x.  Clearly 8 per ascus, but are the spores 1- or 2-celled? Thallus and apo, at 10x.  (Orange is probably Xanthoria.)Thallus and apo, at 30x. 

Candelariella vitellina? 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus verucose to extensively cracked, dingy yellow, roughened, K-
apo lecanorine disks, crowded, margin rough and irreg and not round, disk brownish, often yellowish prunose, hypothecium colorless
spores 10x5um, 8 per ascus, ellip, smooth, 1 cell, clear, often appear 2-celled apparently because of 2 oil drops inside
ascus thick tip, mostly trunc, but a few notched like Lecanora-type
Keys clearly to C. rosulans, but the oil drops, smaller spores, and verucose (as opposed to areolate) unlobed yellower thallus make me think this is a different species.

Spore, at 400x.  Marks are 2.5um. Asci, at 400x.  Lousy photo (no stain used), but the one the arrow points to kind of shows the Lecanora-type thollus. Beaded paraphyses, at 400x.  Some asci are embedded in there as well. Lobes, at 30x. Thallus and lobes, at 10x. Apo, at 30x. 

Lobothallia alphoplaca 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus mounded, smoothly verucose, grey to brown, dull, C- to bluish, K+ bright yellow turning vivid orange-red, lobed at marg, white bel
lobes 2x0.5-0.8mm, convex
medulla white, algae green
apo lecanorine disks, v superficial, margin rather thick and uniform
disk 1mm or so, dark golden brown, shiny
hypothecium colorless
spores ellip, 1 cell, smooth, clear, 12x6um, 8 per ascus
ascus Lecanora-type, paraphyses v conspic beaded for significant stretches at tip

Asci, at 400x.  Lousy photos but clearly lots of tiny spores present and probably slightly thick thollus (panels 1 and 3 show it best). Piece of thallus, at 10x. 

Acarospora fuscata 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus areolate, deep to honey brown
areoles angular, 1mm on avg
pinched to dimpled but otherwise smooth and even a bit shiny, K-, very subtle C+ pink and KC+ red reaction (put areole on slide under 30x and bathe in K and sop that up then put a drop of C on it and watch closely as you crush the areole as little clouds of pink spread out and flecks of red cortex dislodge)
algae green, medulla? 
spores many, tiny, ellip, clear, smooth
asci thickened tip but rounded inside, sorta like Rhizocarpon-type

Asci, at 400x.  Bottom ascus shows typical Lecanora-type ascus tip.  Marks are 2.5um. Ascus, at 400x.  Marks are 2.5um. Apo, at 30x. Thallus and apo, at 10x. 

Lecanora argopholis 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus lt grey, somewhat areolate, somewhat roughened, K+ yell, C-, minutely lobed at marg
medulla white, algae green
apo lecanorine dish, constricted below, ragged thin marg, lt to dk red brown smooth disk, v crowded, somewhat irreg, 2mm or so wide, clear hypothecium
spores ellip, clear, 1 cell, around 10x5um, 8 per ascus, appear to be featured, but wall smooth
ascus v thick tip, either squared off or Lecanora-type

Rhizoplaca subdiscrepans? 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus lt yell green, v smooth, narrow contorted areoles almost squamulose, K-, KC+ yell, C-
apo lots, lecanorine disk, superficial to contintuous with lobes, smooth
disk dull brown, shiny, not pruinose at all
some disks mottled with green (dker than thallus) around brown irreg center
medulla white, algae green
spores v few, 8 per ascus, small, ellip, clear, smooth, stuff inside, 1 cell
ascus hard to find and see
The continuous smooth nature of apothecia seems a bit weird for Lecanora, but Rhizoplaca subdiscrepans has problems, too: wrong range, apothecia not pruinose.

Amandinea punctata 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite, thallus none
apo black, biatorine or lecideine, v thin marg, somewhat convex, some crowded, up to 0.5mm but most much smaller
spores 12x6um or so, ellip, 2 cells, thin walls, brown, smooth, often somewhat bent and/or pointed on one or both ends
paraphyses tips swollen and brown just like spores

Lecidea tessellata 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus rimose, finely cracked like ceramic, lt grey with dk grey cracks, cracks sharp, surface rather smooth to v finely granular, K- (dissolves cortex), C-, KC-
apo lots inside say 5-10mm from marg, not crowded, black, lecideine, replaces areoles, even with thallus, thin but sharp and persist black marg, black disk, epihym green hym and hypothec clear
algae green, medulla wh, paraphyses remaining joined together making it very hard to see asci
spores 8-10x5um, clear, ellip, 1 cell, smooth, 8 per ascus
ascus tip square to somewhat concave
Wrong range, but certainly related to L. tessellata.

Lichinella 

 GEN jelly lichen, on granite
thallus tightly scrunched squamulose-umbilicate, pure black when dry, marg not noticeably thickened, some parts dense with fine isidia/soredia but most smooth, lobes 0.1-0.2mm when wet
no apo
algae blue-green (brownish-green), confined to near the marg
The usual suspect, L. cribellifera doesn't have isidia, the only other one I have info, L. nigritella is not on siliceous rock.  There are 4 other species in NAmer...

Rhizoplaca melanophthalma? 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite, in little tufts
thallus unnoticable except on apothecial margins, C-, K-, KC- or maybe v slowly lt orange-yell? 
apo bunched, black, folded, lecanorine, marg ragged and lt grey, wh pruinose disk, hypothec colorless
spore 1 cell, ellip, smooth, clear, 6-7x2-3um, 8 per ascus
ascus like bascidia- or biatora-type? 
Not enough info even to really get the genus.  Certainly no pix in Brodo suggest themselves on perusal, either.

Spores in ascus, at 400x.  Only 3 visible, other 5 are out of focus below these 3.  Marks are 2.5um. Spores, at 400x.  Marks are 2.5um. 

Lecidea 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite, thallus endolith
apo lecideine, black, rim sl pruinose, 2-3mm wide, scattered to few-clumped, hymen black, hypothec brown
spores 10-15x3um, cyl to oblong, clear, 1 cell, smooth, 8 per ascus, tip of ascus not thickened? 
Doesn't key to species anyway I try it.  Genus is certain.

Spores and ascus, at 400x.  Upper panel shows loose 2-celled spores with relatively thin uniform walls, lower panel shows 8 green (immature) spores in what could be a Rhizocarpon-type ascus (thick unfeatured tip on right), note how immature spores are smaller.  Marks are 2.5um. 

Rhizocarpon badioatrum? 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus areolate, thick, lt grey-brown, convex, black prothallus between areoles in v thin cracks, K+ yell to black in quantity, KC-, C-
apo lecideine, black, v little rim, mounded
spores 13-15x6-10mm, ellip, smooth, 2-cell, uniform wall, green to brown in maturity, halo??, 8 per ascus
no asci found!, paraphyses a network of worm-like stuff all over w black tips

Schismus barbatus 

 GEN tiny clumped grass
 LF lin thread, rolled up
 SPKLT 
low gl 3-5 veins, 4mm, acute, marg scar ab
up gl 5 veins, 3.5mm, acute, marg scar ab
lem 2mm, min notch, 7 veins, scar ab, cil bel
pal > lem
fls 5+, 5x1mm, sharp, terete

Plant.  Terrible photo, dead flower stalks are from another plant. 

Euphorbia incisa 

 GEN peren, decumb, cesp, subshrub
 LF alt, ovob, apic, sess, no stip, glab
 INFL 
glands 5, scalloped, green

Lotus rigidus 

 GEN large subshrub, spreading to erect, br'd bel, wh short strig
 LF pin, lflts 3, petiole and rachis v short, rachis not flat
 STIP conic bumps, FL wings > keel
 INFL 2 in umbel, peduncle long
 FL 20mm, ban 9x9mm, yell-red
 SEP 8x3mm, teeth 3mm
 STAM 9 + 1, short, incl
 FR straight, oblong, 40x3mm, beak 2mm, much > calyx, slowly dehisc, seeds many and tiny

Dermatocarpon miniatum 

Xanthoparmelia mexicana 

Detail of bizarre fruit.  Note glands (orange spots). Twig cutting with fl and bizarre fr. 

Thamnosma montana 

 GEN subshrub, odorous
 ST thick yell-gr
 LF scale-like yell-green, bunched on short spur brs, 5x1.5mm, oblong-lin, thick and leathery and covered w gland bristles
 INFL 1 term on spurs
 SEP 4, join
lobes rounded, 2mm
green
 PET 4, joined?, closed, 7-8x5mm, ellip, warty inside, deep bluish purple, leathery
 STAM 8, incl, glab, purp
 ANTH brown, 1.5mm, dorsifix, lat slit inside
 OV 1, sup, stalked, v deeply 2-lobed, green, spotted like orange rind
 STYLE purp, excl barely, 1
 STIG green, head sl thicker than style
 FR asym 2 lobed bizarre thing, lobes glob, straw w lg round brown spots w dot in center, slite in top 30% (start at apex to the middle joining together where two fr lobes meet), 5x10mm, lard, brittle
 SEED 7-8 per lobe, kidney, lt straw, dry, sl wrinkled, 4x2mm, smooth

Lepidium fremontii fremontii [voucher] 

 GEN subshrub, woody bel, glab, w shiny cellular retic (cool!)
 LF soft, 45x2.5mm, ~fleshy, 2 lat lobes sometimes, acute to apic, sess, stip hair-like and short
 INFL term rac, d, pedicels 5mm
 SEP 4, 2mm, green in middle and inside and fine wh marg outside
 PET 4, white, obov, claw, blade 1.7x1.7mm, claw 1.4mm, free
 STAM 6, white, tiny dk green bumps at base between, ~2.5-3mm, glab, tiny yell anths
 STYLE > fr notch, = stam
 FR obov-oblance, notch sl in tip, no stalk, glab, flat perp sept, 1 seed per lobe, green, 2.5x2.0x0.3mm

Underside of lamina, at 30x.  Note sulfur-colored granules and randomly scattered naked sporangia. 

Pityrogramma triangularis triangularis [voucher] 

 ST red-brown
 LF 2-pin, glab ab, covered with sp gold granules bel, flat
 SOR sporangia borne naked scattered all over underside of leaf

Cheilanthes covillei [voucher] 

 ST long, red-gold-brown
 LF 3-pin, lance-oblong
segs round, lin, v curled under
glab ab and bel, rachis w many overlapping wide ov-lance scales
scales white w brown center, entire to few short cil bel
scales ro 4x1.5mm, no hairs anywhere else, some v laciniate hair-like curly things ab rachis

Cheilanthes viscida [voucher] 

 GEN creep rhiz
 ST sp stip gland, red-brown, internodes > 1-pinnae on main rachis
 LF v narrow oblong-ellip 140x25mm, broadest just ab base, 3-pin-pinfid, segs obtuse-rounded (much < 1mm)
final pinnae 2x1mm, lance
curling under when dry, sticky sess clear glands ab, sticky short stip glands bel
 SOR ? 

Lemma tip, at 30x.  Lousy photo but shows lemma teeth at base of awn. 

Bromus madritensis rubescens [voucher] 

Ephedra fasciculata? 

 GEN low subshrub
 ST flex, yellowish
 LF 2 per node, 1.5mm, black, acum, dry out but more or less persist, acum scale, wh base
 CONE 2 per node, not developed yet

Eriogonum heermannii argense? 

 GEN subshrub, v woody but fairly low
 LF lin-oblance, wh tom, sl revol, clust, min apic, 12x2.2mm, red marg
 INFL long peduncle, 1-brs much > 2+-brs
invols solit or some 2 per node, 4mm, hairy, erect
brs round and glab
 FL 2mm, not stipitate, rest is questionable  poor sample

Ericameria cuneata spathulata 

 GEN shrub
 ST stout, glab, also exudate, green to tan
 LF alt, 15x10mm, obov, entire, sl petioled, shiny w clear-whitish exudate
 INFL paniculiform, many d 8x6mm heads
 PHYL many, imbr, lin, flat, sl obtuse
 RECEPT naked (v low scales)
 RAY none
 DISC 15 or more
 STYLE narr taper, incl, cil top 60-70%
 FR v d long strig, 4 ribs? 
 PAP many 3-4mm barbellate bristles

Nice old specimen. Two species on granite.  Yellow is Acarospora (showing typical gnurbliness in extreme old age which I saw a lot in this area), grey-and-black is probably Lecidea, brown at right might be Umbilicaria. 

Acarospora contigua 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus areolate, scattered to contig and scrunched up, green-yell when wet to lemon yell when dry
apo cryptolecanorine, dk brown, immersed, few
spores 3x2um, ellip, clear, smooth, v many per ascus

Asci, at 400x.  3 asci visible (arrows), thickened ascus tip (Lecanora-type) faintly visible, esp in upper left one, spores are so minute you can barely make them out.  Marks are 2.5um. 

Pleopsidium flavum 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus min areolate to verucose, deep sl orangish yell, surface v min v rough, contig
apo cryptolecanorine to sl lecanorine, pale brown, irreg, crowded, sl pruinose-looking
ascus oblong to ice-cream- conic, tip thick
spores v min (< 2mm), many per ascus, clear, ellip, smooth

Physalis 

Rhus integrifolia 

 LF small, 15-25x17-21mm
 SEP not glandular

Phoradendron californicum 

 GEN on mesquite
 ST reddish, white canesc near tip
 LF scale, much < 1mm
 FL 3-lobed
 FR 4mm, 1 color, dirty pinkish reddish brown

Two species on granite.  Yellow is Acarospora (showing typical gnurbliness in extreme old age which I saw a lot in this area), grey-and-black is probably Lecidea, brown at right might be Umbilicaria. 

Umbilicaria phaea? 

 GEN umbilicate lichen, on granite
thallus 10-20mm round, pretty flat, shiny smooth brown ab w some fine cracks, dusty grey bel w depressions below apothecia
apo black, round, complex ridges inside
medulla white, KC-, C+ pink, K-
algae green)
Thallus should not be dusty, nor should apothecia by round.

? 

 GEN umbilicate lichen, on granite
thallus dk grey-brown ab, rough, granular round black warts and margins, lter grey and brown bel, smooth bel, no rhiz
algae dk green
medulla white, v thin, K-, C-, KC-
apo?? 
Doesn't come close to antthing in Brodo.  By camp, to R, on rock w Acarospora flavum, to R w Dermatocarpon miniatum.

Xanthoria fallax 

Spores, at 400x.  Clearly 2-celled.  Focus is poor, so shape of loci is unclear. Spores in ascus, at 400x.  All 8 brown spores visible, ascus tip could be Biatora-type (going by sharp triangle at left of spore mass). 

Physcia phaea? 

 GEN squamulose lichen, on rock
thallus lobes to 1.5mm, look wh pruinose, lt grey, v convex and overlap, v closely att (impossible to remove!), K+ yell, C-, pale bel, d pale rhiz all over
medulla white, algae green
apo black, lecanorine, v constrict bel, some w white pruina
spores brown, ellip, smooth, 2 cell, thin to thick wall (seeing is bad), 15-17x6-7um, 8 per ascus

Nice specimen. Nice specimen. Nice old specimen.  Not a great photo. 

Caloplaca ignaea? 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
thallus no cortex or rhiz bel, bright orange, bumpy
lobes marginal, 0.5-0.8mm wide, lin to fan, radiating
verucose inside, V+ wine red
apo packed, irreg, v pruinose, lecanorine, disk and marg and thallus all same color
spores ellip, smooth, clear, 2 cell, polarlocular, 12-13x7-8um, 8 per ascus
Brodo doesn't distinguish between this and C. trachyphylla very well.

Caloplaca saxicola? 

Same thing as above but... 
 GEN 
thallus greener, smoother
apo (disk yellower)

Caloplaca arenaria? 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite, thallus endolith
apo lecanorine, 0.5-0.9mm, dk orange w bright yellowish orange even rim, sl pruinose, sometimes densely packed, K+ wine red, C-
spore 15x7um, clear, smooth, ellip, 3 cell, polarloc
Could be C. fraudens?

Physcia dubia 

 GEN foliose lichen, on moss
 THAL lt grey, v close att, pruinose, lobes much < 1mm, convex, wh bel, sp wh short rhiz bel, lobes turn up sharply inside with age showing coarse granular soredia that look like laminal soralia, become nearly confluent, K+ yell (over large one  small spot slowly only maybe turned yell-green), C-
 MED white, K-, C-
 ALG green
 APO none

Two species on granite.  Yellow is Acarospora (showing typical gnurbliness in extreme old age which I saw a lot in this area), grey-and-black is probably Lecidea, brown at right might be Umbilicaria. 

Lecidea tessellata 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
 THAL areolate, finely cracked like ceramic, cracks show dk grey-black prothallus
 MED ? 
 ALG ? 
 APO black, sunken to superficial, K-, C-, KC-
 SPORE 1 cell, 6x2-3um?, clear, smooth, almost cyl (hard to tell what is spore and what is segment of hypae!), 8 per ascus

Lobothallia alphoplaca 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
 THAL lobed, v verucose, convex lobes, folded or scrunched up, lt honey-brown, shiny, K+ yell, KC+ yell, C-, KC+ yell becoming reddish v slowly
 APO lecanorine, v superficial, bumpy, dull dk red brown, thick marg
 ASC club-oblong, thick tip with deep v notch
 SPORE 8 per ascus, ellip, smooth, featured greenish stuff inside esp when young or still in ascus, 10-12x5-6um, 1 cell, clear
Thought it was Lecanora argopholis at first, but later on recognized the beaded paraphyses immediately as Lobothallia and corrected my mistake.  Good thing I kept a sample, because I didn't make note of the paraphyses above.

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