BC, Wells Gray, 20080218
WGWI west, crust lichens. 

Curtis brought these back.  These were from a rain-sheltered twiggy Abies.

Spores, at 1000x. Stained asci, at 1000x. Asci, at 1000x. Apo section, at 400x. Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 10x. Thallus, at 10x. 

Arthonia edgewoodensis [] [voucher] 

 THAL v thin white, scurfy, algae mostly local to apothecia
 APO black, round to somewhat irreg polygonal, 0.2-0.3mm, K-, black epihym, hyal hymen, brown subhymen, no alg, balloon asci w v thick tips, no rim
 SPORE 8 per ascus, hyal, 1 sept, 1 cell sl larger than other, stuff inside but smooth, septum v thin and straight and even, ~12x4um
One of Curtis's (many) proud new species.

Better spore, at 1000x.  Arrow marks the one I had in mind. \Edge of apo section, at 1000x. Apo section, at 100x. Thallus, at 30x. 

Caloplaca holocarpa [] [voucher] 

 THAL none
 APO lecanorine, yellow-orange rim, orange disk, shiny
epi yellow brown, granular
hymen clear, hypothecium clear, subhymen clear, algae in rim, K+ purple red epi, apo constricted at base
 SPORE 8? per ascus, clear, ellip, 12-15x7-10um, polarilocular, septum much wider than cells

Oil-inspersed hymenium, at 400x. Half an apo section, at 400x. Few apo, at 30x. 

Lecidea albofuscescens-group [] [voucher] 

 THAL scurfy whitish
 APO black, raised rim, sl convex to flat, olive-black epi, clear hymen, dk brown hypo, well-developed lter brown cortex, oil inspersed mostly in lower half of hymen, para ~3um wide at tip with pigmented caps, asci I+ esp v thin layer on tip, para tips I-
 SPORE 8 per ascus, hyal, ellip, 10x6-8um, 1um thick even wall, 1 cell, stuff inside (bubbles etc)

Apo cortex, at 1000x.  This is supposed to show sparse hyphae in cortex characteristic of the L. dispersa-group.  Hmmm... Ascus and spores, at 1000x. Apo section, at 100x. 

Lecanora hagenii [] [voucher] 

 THAL none
 APO lecanorine, white rim, black disk, white pruinose, K-, brown epi
hyal hymen, hypo
distinct algal layer inside amph, thick well-developed, polarizing crystals in amph and epi (coarse)
 SPORE 8 per ascus, hyal, ellip, 1 cell




Same place, Picea.

Stained asci, at 1000x.  No reticle on this microscope, sorry... but look at those axial masses! Spores in asci, at 1000x.  Mounted in K.  Now the septa are clearly visible, making it clear this is Lecania not Lecanora. Spores, at 1000x.  Mounted in water.  Note how the granular texture inside these spores completely obscures the septa. 

Lecania cyrtella-sensu-lato [] [voucher] 

 THAL none
 APO lecanorine, brown disk, v thin whitish rim, lt brown epi
hyal hymen, hypo
distinct algal layer, little or no cortex, K-
 SPORE 8 per ascus, clear, 1 septum (easier to see in K), sl bent, 10-13x3.5-4mm, granular becoming clear in K

 THAL thin film with some areoles, greenish, smooth
 APO minute medium brown balls, young ones show a very thin pale rim, epi lt brown, hymen and hypo clear, algae in exciple or amph, para swollen and septate and mostly simple, asci with thick I+ tip and I-canal (Lecanora-type?) and I-walls
 SPORE 8 per ascus, ellip to football, hyal, textured inside obscuring septum, 2 cell, thin even walls and septum

Thallus, at 30x. Apo section, at 100x.  Note the I+ lavender reaction in the hypothecium. 

Lecidea betulicola-group [] [voucher] 

 THAL none
 APO grey, shiny, translucent paler rim, smooth, epi clear, hymen lt brown below into lt brown hypo, no algae, exciple missing or poorly developed, K-, I+ lavender (exciple?)
para branched, uncolored
no oil
 SPORE 8-16 per ascus, hyal, ellip, 7-8x3-4um, 1 cell, smooth

Apothecia, at 30x.  Better. Apothecia, at 30x. Spore, at 1000x.  Stained in IKI.  Septa clearly visible here. Spore, at 1000x.  Stained in IKI. Apo section, at 400x. 

Bacidina ramea [] [voucher] 

 THAL v thin white stain, possibly with green granules (or these belong to something else)
 ALG looks Trebouxioid
 APO v pale, convex, rim v thin to nonexistent, to 0.5mm wide, superficial, waxy look, all parts hyal, v thick hypo, alg in discontinuous layer below subhymen, all K-, hymen and hypo I+, ascus tip thick I+ with pale bit not extending all the way through, hymen 60-70um, no granules or crystals apparent (don't have access to polarizing filter)
 SPORE 8 per ascus, acicular, septate (how many?) but very obscurely, 30-40x2-3um
Used: Stefan Ekman, Opera Botanica Number 127, 1996, "The Corticolous and Lignicolous species of Bacidia and Bacidina in North America". Curtis confirms that he's seen this in the inland wet ICH, despite the exclusively coastal range shown in the reference above.

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