CA, Southern California, 20070214
Pine Mt, many lichens.
At the Rancho Nuevo Trailhead, and along trail almost as far as wilderness boundary. Canyon runs northeast-southwest, with desert scrub and juniper on exposed slopes, and mixed doug fir and live oak on the other side. Desert side gets sun virtually all day, with some slopes barely in the lea missing late afternoon sun that see some oak acrub and chaparral. The other side gets sun only for a few hours due to ridges blocking late afternoon sun.
119°23'49.5"W +/- 3.0"
34°41'44.6"N +/- 2.5"
119.39708°W
34.6957°N
1135m +/- 25m
Location 12
Crumbly sandstone rocks along trail at very start, rather mossy, very
open but getting sun for only a few hours a day (esp little during winter). At the foot of the NNW slope.
Aspicilia "grey lumpy" [] [voucher]
Aspicilia "tan lumpy" [] [voucher]
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | lumpy, bullate-areolate, honey-tan, lter near edges of areoles, shiny & smooth, K-, C- |
| | MED | | thick, white, K+y/o, C- |
| | APO | | cryptolecanorine, up to 5-6 per areole, alg discontinuous bel, disk black, thick even cortex, epi brown to sl olivaceous, hymen faint yellish brown, ascus tip IKI- & thick when young to thin when old, para beaded at tips |
| | SPORE | | 8, ellip, clear, 1 cell, 1 bubble, 25-28x15-18um, wall looks about 2-3um thick |
Aspicilia "tan powdery" [] [voucher]
Lecanora muralis muralis [] [voucher]
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | lobate, greyish pale yell-green, coarsely weakly white pruinose near tips and around sinuses, blackening near edges, weakly convex to plicate-folded around sinuses, waxy shiny look but not smooth, K-, C-, KC+y |
| | APO | | crowded in center, sl convex, brownish, shiny, epruinose, turning greyish-green right by rims| rims | | thick, flush w disk, shiny, radially cracked, waxy, thallus-colored |
|
Just discovered there might be some confusion with
L. garovaglii. Here are just a few differences according to
Nash and
Brodo:
L. muralis shorter flatter lobes, no maculae, dull to shiny apo, solid medulla
L. garovaglii longer conspic convex/plicate lobes, always dull apo, hollow medulla
The medulla sounds like the best character, but it's buried inside the description, so I suspect it isn't as reliable as one would like. At any rate, I'm going by the conspic shiny apothecia and the conspic solid medulla. L. garovaglii also appears to be more strictly inland, while L. muralis is v widespread and common in a wide variety of habitats. Interestingly, photo 4 (the one with the moss and orange lichen) is clearly a flat-lobed classic L. muralis, but the other photo shows a rather convex-lobed specimen in the top left I wonder if it could be L. garovaglii? At the time I didn't suspect the existence of two such similar species, so only collected the one specimen.
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | rimose, v pale tan, almost shiny, areoles convex, K-, C+r, KC+r |
| | APO | | lecideine, black, not to lightly white pruinose, rims prom raised black but disappearing, sunken in between areoles, sl convex, angular, epi olive brown, hymen sl brownish, hpo v dark brown, exciple black rind outside sl lighter than hypothecium, hymen IKI+v, ascus def lecidea-type |
| | SPORE | | 8, clear, 1 cell, ellip-oblong, 10-14x4-5um |
I went "back" to
20070715 and
20070824 to verify the two specimens of
L. mannii I found in the San Gabriels. No question, this one has much darker hypothecium, and more pronounced C+r reactions. (Though,
L. mannii does also have distinct reaction, esp in exciple. When
Nash warns that it is fleeting, don't be too worried: you have several seconds to see it. I've seen far briefer C+r reactions!)
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | crustose to almost squamulose, shiny, smooth, deep rich olive to chocolate brown, black at and under margs, white pruina at edges, convex to contorted, K-, C-, KC- |
| | MED | | white, thick, fairly dense, K-, C-, KC-, IKI- |
| | APO | | lecideine, black, contorted, to 1mm wide, flat, prom raised black marg often whitish pruinose, disk mostly matte but sometimes finely frosted w white pruina, epi green-black, hymen greenish esp ab & IKI+b, subhym sl brownish, hypo dk brown, exciple w distinct black rind, ascus clearly lecidea-type, some yellowish wash emanates from hypothecium when wash with K, all C- |
| | SPORE | | 8, clear, 1 cell, 2 bubble, 12-13x4.5-5um pretty consistently, ellip-spindle |
The
Nash key relies heavily on spore size, but my spores are firmly in the middle (arg), and to a sl lesser degree on chemistry I can't observe (double arg). Could be any of these:
L. brodoana surface light, hypo clear, hymen I+o(?!)...
L. fuscoatrina surface light, spores avg too big <----
L. atrobrunnea med I+b...
L. perlatolica med I+b...
L. schizopeltica med I+b...
Clearly in the L. fuscoatra-group, and now that I've "corrected" the Nash key, I will be able to rule out the L. atrobrunnea-group immediately in the future. Indeed, one can see the necessary dark hypothecium with a hand lens, so these two groups should be distinguishable with high probability in the field. Interestingly, L. fuscoatrina should occur in CA coast range, but hasn't been recorded in this area yet. ID seems quite positive, though.
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | lt grey, rimose, "soft" |
| | APO | | lecideine, large (to 2+mm), black, angular, v convex, packed, v min rim if any (can't quite tell even at 30x), epi green-black, hymen clear to greenish ab, hypo brown, exciple v thin and black & C-, ascus lecidea-type (IKI- tip maybe w touch of blue at v tip and slanting walls) |
| | SPORE | | 8 per ascus, clear, ellip, 1 cell, 12-13x5-6um |
Apparently I misread the hypothecium, but otherwise it appears to match the description in
Nash perfectly. Incidentally, the photo shows the "graphidioid" pycnidia beautifully... even if it doesn't show the areolation very well. Contrast is just a bit weak.
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | dk olive or gray, v min verruculose, areolate, K-, KC- |
| | APO | | lecideine, black, v convex, ~0.8mm, min sl raised black rim, v constricted bel (look at exciple in section), epi black w greenish tint, hymen faint reddish-vinaceous, hypo like hymen & apparently v short (white opaque medulla starts almost immediately below hymenium), exciple has thin black skin, para stuck at tips & unbr & ~1um thick & apparently unexpanded at tips?, ascus def lecanora-type (can see IKI- axis in vertical asci as little white holes in dark blue disks) but could be lecidella-type but I can't resolve that level of detail |
| | SPORE | | 8, ellip, clear, 1 cell, smooth, 13-18x7-10um |
Nash and
Brodo converge upon
Lecidella (at least after ruling out other genera with lecanora-type asci in
Nash: def not a lecideine
Lecanora, nor
Carbonea or
Miriquidica). This is a nasty genus if you don't have TLC. Species in the area include:
L. asema C+y/r, coastal
L. carpathica whitish, hypo brown
L. elaeochroma smooth, hypo brown
L. euphorea smooth, hypo brown
L. stigmatea C+y/r
Oh hell, I can't make any progress. I must be reading something wrong. No one mentions an extremely short hypothecium, the reddish/vinaceous hymenium-subhymenium-hypothecium, and I can't get any reliable spot tests. There is, on the other hand, a distinct greenish "halo" outside the exciple and epihymenium (the two are nearly indistinguishable), and the spores are the correct size (that is, they are too large to be many other genera). Both of those features, in combination with the amyloid torus at the ascus tip, characterize Lecidella according to Brodo. However, I find that the paraphyses only separate easily in K.
Leptochidium albociliatum [] [voucher]
Rhizocarpon macrosporum [] [voucher]
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | lemon yell, areolate, convex, roughened |
| | APO | | cryptolecanorine, black, sunken, epi brown, hymen yellowish, ascus tip somewhat thickened, para abruptly thickened and brown at tip |
| | SPORE | | 8, ellip, muriform, 10+ cells, 30-50x15-20um, dk brown when mature |
Apparently the only distinguishing character between
R. geographicum and
R. macrosporum is spore size. Sigh.
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | white & continuous?, covered with black crap like it's being parasitized |
| | APO | | lecideine, big, black, prom black to gray rim, disk dull, rim v contorted almost gyrose, up to 2mm, scattered, epi black to v sl greenish, hymen clear, hypo brown, exciple v thick carbonized black heap, para stuck together, ascus lecidea-type? (swollen IKI- tip to dk blue at v tip) |
| | SPORE | | 8 per ascus, clear, 12x4um, 1 cell, ellip-spindle, 2 bubbles |
Ascus could conceivably be rimularia-type, I suppose, which the semi-gyrose/umbonate apothecia would strongly suggest. But if so, the species is def not in
Nash. However, if I ignore the contortions, it keys out to one of the
L. laboriosa group, which don't work very well.
Umbilicaria phaea []
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | THAL | | deep orange, convex lobes, rough, coarse soredia at and bel sl raised splayed tips, K+r, seems to be entirely crustose |
Classic
appearance of
X. fulva, but not a single rhizine to be found, inducing the literal minded soul to fail even to get the correct genus. Fortunately I'm not one.
Location 13
Same place as Location 12, on hardwood scrub (ceanothus?) along trail.
Covered with Xanthoria esp near base, and other lichens esp in shade of limbs or rocks. Fairly open but little sun. (Popular horse trail, presumably accounting for rich growth of Xanthoria along this part of the trail?)
Melanelia subolivacea [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | lt grey, adnate, widening broad lobes, pale bel, crystal pruina, K+y |
| | THAL | | K+ r, rhiz abundant, some rhiz under apo |
Location 14
V moist, shaded, v mossy sandstone in lea of cliff. Rarely sees any
sun. Down the trail a little distance from Location 12-13.
Leptochidium albociliatum [] [voucher]
Leptogium corniculatum [] [voucher]
Melanelia subargentifera [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | olive to brown, shiny, scattered minute hairs, powdery black soredia along marg and in scattered round soralia on surface esp in older parts |
| | THAL | | isidia along margins, black squar rhiz |
Physconia perisidiosa [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | isidia under tips, black squar rhiz |
| | GEN | | crust lichen, on granitic rock |
| | APO | | biatorine?, convex, sev mm wide, scattered, disk lustrous red-brown, smooth even distinct thin black rim (visible only at 10-30x), def no algae in marg, hymen and hypo clear, epi brown, para tips abruptly expanded and lt brown, exciple brown to dk brown, ascus tip IKI-, hymen IKI+ |
| | SPORE | | many per ascus, 4-5x1.5-2um, oblong, clear, 1 cell |
Nash keys clearly to genus, but don't have vol III yet.
Brodo only describes (briefly) 4 out of 14 NAmer species, of which
S. similis matches well, but who know what others might match even better? (Vol III clinches it: of the non-pruinose endolithic species:
S. dakotensis is only in AZ and has paler apothecia;
S. novomexicana has too large spores and paler apothecia;
S. reebiae is closest but has somewhat smaller spores and rather smaller apothecia.
Location 15
Semi-shaded sandstone. Open but rarely sunny. Same place as Location 14.
Leptogium corniculatum [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | lt grey (w black leopard spots!), broad adnate widening lobes, d crystal pruina, pale bel, K+y |
grey crustose with black biatorines
Location 16
Open non-mossy sandstone. Open but rarely sunny. Same place as
Location 14.
| | THAL | | v dull white powdery, lack bel, black rhiz projecting a bit, K-, lobes ~0.5mm |
No way to ID without APO/soredia/isidia!
Location 17
Shaded rocks under live oaks. Open but well shaded by oaks. Very short
distance down trail from Location 14-16.
Leptochidium albociliatum [] [voucher]
Leptogium lichenoides [] [voucher]
Melanelia albertana-like [] [voucher]
Melanelia "rock glabra" [] [voucher]
brownish double-ringed sunken apothecial crust
greyish acarospora-like
lumpy brownish crustose with chopped lumps
unknown physconia?
Location 18
Shaded live oak trunks; dry but very mossy. Same general area as
Location 17.
Location 18a
Higher up, drier.
| | THAL | | yell, v finely div, soredia covering lower surface, K- |
| | THAL | | dk olive, v fine sp white min bristles all over, no isidia or soredia, shiny |
| | THAL | | lt grey, maculate or not, K+ yell weak or strong, pale bel with cortex and pale rhiz, abundant black long cilia, lobes v narr (< 0.5mm) and ascending), granular soredia produced in soralia under margins near tips mostly |
| | THAL | | olive, frosted tips, squar rhiz, isidia along margins but not tips |
black-eye grey lecanorine
black-eye lecideine
lecanora
red-eye white lecanorine
unknown physconia
yellow-eye leprose
Location 18b
At base, moister.
Mycena []
| | THAL | | lt grey, heavily pruinose (pruina noticably angular at 40-100x), lobes to 2mm wide and distinctly spreading-widening at tips, tightly convex, pale bel with many pale short rhiz, K+ yell, KC-, C- |
| | APO | | to 2mm, black disks w white pruina, prom incurled pruinose rims |
Several specimens.
Physconia fallax []
| | THAL | | olive, frosted tip, yellow soredia along margins |
(ID from photo alone)
Nash mentions yellow soredia only in this species. Map and descript show it is plausible, at least.
Location 19
Fully exposed, v sunny sandstone on northwest side of canyon. Random
places across from parking area, up maybe 100-200 feet.
Cheilanthes covillei []
| | ROOT | | scale weakly lt marg & entire |
| | ST | | d cover w long lance scales |
| | LF | | ov-lance, obtuse base, acum tip, 3-pin, bead, glab, rachis and costae w large lance scales w some v lacerate and protruding ab |
Pellaea andromedifolia []
| | LF | | lance-delt, 2-3-pin, to 4 pairs pinnules, veins invisible, pinnae and pinnules stalked |
Pellaea mucronata []
| | ROOT | | scale v erose-dentate & bicolorous |
| | ST | | red-brown, shiny, grooved ab, glab |
| | LF | | 2-pin, to 5 pairs of pinnules on each pinna, lance, widest near bot, entire, all green |
Physconia isidiigera []
black-on-black crust
candelariella
candelina
endolithic red-orange caloplaca
lobate bluish lecanora
Location 19b
Slightly less exposes: some trees around, and slightly more northward
aspect. But still essentially day-long sun.
Xanthoparmelia cumberlandia [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | broad, d semi-prom pycnidia, many broad apo, brown bel |
| | MED | | K+ yell turning orange, C-, KC- |
Xanthoparmelia plittii [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | KC+ gold, d cyl isidia on older parts, brown below |
| | MED | | K+ deep yell, C-, KC- |
Xanthoparmelia subdecipiens [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | narrow, inset pycnidia, brown bel, fertile |
There are 5 species in
Nash which I cannot distinguish with spot tests alone.
Location 20
Fully exposed, v sunny oak scrub on northwest side of canyon. Random
places across from parking area, up maybe 100-200 feet.
Melanelia subolivacea [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | grey, heavily pruinose, adnate to loose, broad but crenulate into finer lobules, pale bel w black rhiz protruding looking cilia-like on some, K+y |
Location 21
Fully exposed, v sunny juniper on northwest side of canyon. 100-200 feet
up ridge across and slightly northeast from parking lot.
Melanelia panniformis [] [voucher]
Melanelia subelegantula [] [voucher]
| | THAL | | lt grey, d overlapping finely div lobes, pale bel, d pruinose, K+y |
| | THAL | | whitish to grey, splotched w black, crystal pruina, pale bel, lobes broad to narrow lobulate, adnate to overlapping, soredia grey on inner marg, K+y |
| | THAL | | closely adnate, lobes 2-3mm wide & rounded tips, maculate, lightly pruinose?, whitish to grey at edges, pale to grey near edges bel, no cilia, soredia abundant on marg and on surface, K+y |
| | APO | | a few present, sl pruinose, black disks |
Wide lobes rule out
P. dubia, the only option in
Nash key.
| | THAL | | lt greenish grey, lt pruina in places, pale bel, lobes broad but finely crenulate, loosely adnate to overlapping, soredia under lobe tips, K+y |
< 20070213 | home | index | 20070215 >
