AZ, Colorado Plateau, 20080624
Flagstaff and Juniper Mountains, lichens

 Location 1 
 Location 2 

Location 1 

Windy Hill, outside Flagstaff, about 0.5-1.0 miles past arboretum on north side of FR 231.  Around 7200'.  Ponderosa and gambel oak and basalt boulders and outcrops.  Both full-sun habitats and shaded under oaks. 35.1534N 117.7409W.

Collema_crispum c
Dermatocarpon_americanum c
Flavopunctelia_soredica i
Leptogium_arsenei i
Melanelia_sorediata r
Melanelia_subolivacea c
Melanelia_tominii i
Neofuscelia_atticoides i
Phaeophyscia_ciliata c
Physcia_aipolia c
Physcia_biziana c
Physcia_caesia c
Physcia_stellaris r
Physcia_tribacia c
Rhizoplaca_chrysoleuca c
Rhizoplaca_melanophthalma c
Umbilicaria_hyperborea c
Umbilicaria_phaea c
Usnea_hirta i
Xanthomendoza_montana c
Xanthoparmelia_coloradoensis c
Xanthoparmelia_lineola c
Xanthoria_elegans i

Collema crispum [] [voucher] 

Common on rock. 
 GEN ear-shaped lobes and scale-like isidia

Dermatocarpon americanum [] [voucher] 

Common on underside of rocks.
 GEN large colonies, pale gray to bownish above, brownish and reticulate below, med I+r, green when wet

Flavopunctelia soredica [] [voucher] 

 GEN infreq on oak bark

Leptogium arsenei [] [voucher] 

Infreq on rock.
 GEN corticate, unfused lobes, laminal granular to coralloid isidia, no hairs

Melanelia [] 

Infreq on ponderosa. 
 GEN c+r, pynidia, terminal soredia, too small to ID

Melanelia sorediata [] [voucher] 

One on rock.
 GEN c-, K-, soredia submarginal on turned-up wavy lobes, no pseudocyphellae

Melanelia subolivacea [] [voucher] 

Common on oak bark. 
 GEN c-, apo

Melanelia tominii [] [voucher] 

Infreq on rock. 
 GEN c+r med, white pseudocyphellae, capitate soralia

Neofuscelia atticoides [] [voucher] 

Infreq on rock.
 GEN c-, K+y-o med, no isidia or soredia, apotheciate, rugulose, shiny brown-green cor, tan bel w black rhiz

Phaeophyscia ciliata [] [voucher] 

Several on oak bark.
 GEN plain grey-brown, simple black rhiz protrude, K-all, no pruina

Physcia aipolia [] [voucher] 

Common on oak bark.
 GEN epruinose, maculate, K+y cor and med, brown below, apo pruinose

Physcia biziana [] [voucher] 

Common on oak bark. 
 GEN k+y cor, K- med, pruinose, apo pruinose

Physcia caesia [] [voucher] 

Common on rock.
 GEN k+y cor and med, not pruinose, not black bel, maculate, raised laminal soralia

Physcia stellaris [] 

One on oak bark. 
 GEN whitish, K+y cor, K- med, white below, apo epruinose

Physcia tribacia [] [voucher] 

Common on rock.
 GEN k+y cor, K-med, pruinose, pale below, soredia just under tips

Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca [] [voucher] 

 GEN common on rock

Rhizoplaca melanophthalma [] [voucher] 

 GEN common on rock

Umbilicaria hyperborea [] [voucher] 

Common on rock. 
 GEN raised circular gyrose apothecia

Umbilicaria phaea [] [voucher] 

Common on rock. 
 GEN sessile star-shaped apothecia

Usnea hirta [] [voucher] 

 GEN infreq on ponderosa

Xanthomendoza montana [] [voucher] 

Common on oak bark. 
 GEN one on rock, apo, short rhiz, no pruina

Xanthoparmelia chlorochroa [] [voucher] 

Infreq on rock.
 GEN k+y-r, strongly imbricate but plane 1-3mm lobes, pale below, weakly maculate, smooth, no pyc

Xanthoparmelia lineola [] [voucher] 

Common on rock.
 GEN k+y-r, adnate broad plane lobes, pale below, emaculate, rugose, abundant pycnidia
X. coloradoensis is also common.

Xanthoparmelia neorimalis [] [voucher] 

Infreq on rock.
 GEN k+y-r, strongly imbricate revolute 1mm shiny rounded lobes, pale below, emaculate, smooth, no pyc

Xanthoria elegans [] [voucher] 

Infreq on rock. 
 GEN oranger, convex, lobes, white cortex bel w few hapters


Location 2 

I-40 exit 109, south side.  Pinyon-juniper and limestone?, basalt hills nearby.  No rock outcrops, but rich lichen flora on trees.  Around 6000'. 35.2872N 113.0840W.

Flavopunctelia_soredica c
Melanelia_subolivacea i
Phaeophyscia_hirsuta c
Physcia_biziana c
Physcia_dimidiata c
Xanthomendoza_fallax c
Xanthoria_sorediata? i

Flavopunctelia soredica [] [voucher] 

Common on pine bark.
 GEN usnic, no dots, med C+r

Melanelia subolivacea [] [voucher] 

Infrequent on juniper wood/twigs.
 GEN shiny brown, C- med, fertile

Phaeophyscia hirsuta [] [voucher] 

Common on shaded juniper bark.
 GEN dark below, K-all, rhiz simple, cortical hairs, minute isidia/soredia at tips

Physcia biziana [] [voucher] 

Common on juniper bark and wood.
 GEN white below, cor K+y, med K-, apotheciate, pruinose

Physcia dimidiata [] [voucher] 

Common on pine and juniper.
 GEN white below, cor K+y, med K-, granular marginal soredia, heavily pruinose

Xanthomendoza fallax [] [voucher] 

Common mostly on shaded juniper.
 GEN rhizines, soredia under flaps

Xanthoria sorediata [] [voucher] 

Infrequent mostly on shaded juniper. 
 GEN almost crustose, K+ orangish surface, v sorediate, also apotheciate, raised pycnidia
Or is this Caloplaca microphyllina?

Crusts:

Spore, in water, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 400x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Thallus, 30x. Apo section, in K, at 400x. Apo section, in K, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x. 

Lecidella euphorea [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood flake
 THAL grey, verruculose, thick, v dull, K-
 APO black, lecideine, plane becoming v convex, rim prom briefly when young becoming inconspic, matte-shiny, epruinose, large, epi greenish-black, hymen clear, hypo golden to reddish brown, exciple v thin and greenish to dark brown, all K-, all POL- or few small POL+ white crystals scattered throughout
 SPORE 8 per ascus, 1 cell, bluntly ellip, clear, 11-13x6.2-7.0um (Q=1.8-1.9) (N=2), walls 0.7um
Figured this was Lecidea but nothing even comes close.  Falling back on Lecidella: key in Nash presents many choices, however only L. euphorea and the identical(?!) L. tumidula match.

Thallus, at 30x. Spores, in IKI, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x. 

Caloplaca microphyllina [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood flake
 THAL crustose but margin abrupt almost appearing subfruticose/subsquamulose, orange, K+ red, soredia in irreg laminal soralia, pycnidia raised
 APO common, sl darker orange than thallus, rim prom and more thalline, epruinose, epi and cortex with abundant K+ red POL+ golden granules
hymen clear, IKI-
hypo clear
para often branched at tips, last 2 cells swollen
 SPORE 8 per ascus, clear, ellip, 2 cell, polarilocular, 13-14x7um (Q=1.9-2.0) (N=2), septum 3.8-4.4um
I can't find any "lobes" with lower cortex, so it can't be Xanthoria.  Apothecia are too common, and too many paraphyses are branched at the tips to be C. citrina.

Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 10x. Paraphyses, in IKI, at 1000x. Ascus and spores, in IKI, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 10x. 

Caloplaca arizonica [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on sheltered juniper bark
 THAL areolate, yellow, K-, C-, pycnidia immersed (or those are just apothecial buds)
 APO orange, rims orange but less so, epi and cortical pigments K+ and C+ red and POL+ golden and sol in K, hymen IKI+ blue
para branched near tips, last 2-3 cells inflated
 SPORE 8 per ascus, polarilocular, (10)13+/-2(16)x(4.6)6.5+/-1.2(8.5)um (Q=(1.4)2.0+/-0.3(2.3)) (N=15), septum (3.3)4.1+/-0.8(5.9)um
Nash doesn't mention C+ red epi, says the thallus is K+ red, and calls the discs dark red-brown.  But the photo looks very similar to mine.  Otherwise this is a good match.  (And it's the only thing that comes even close.)

Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in K, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 400x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 400x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Beautiful close-up, at 30x. Beautiful close-up, at 10x. 

Pertusaria saximontana [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustse lichen, on juniper wood with Caloplaca microphyllina and Lecidella? 
 THAL thick, areolate-bullate, grey, areoles ~1mm, K-, C-
 MED white, K-, C-
 APO cryptolecanorine, black, sunken, cortex K-
epi and/or hymen K+ pale violet, C+ faint reddish
epi blackish-brownish, hymen clear
hypo clear, with large POL+ white crystals
abundant algae in margin, para v fine and tangled but easily separating in K
asci huge, strongly IKI+ blue thick outer layer
 SPORE rare, 1-2 per ascus?, clear, textured, large, ellip to oblong

Buellia disciformis 

/chloroleuca

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood fragment
 THAL lt gray, thin, rimose, K+ weak yellow, KC-, C-
 APO black, lecideine
rim prominant throughout, smooth, even, quite black to brownish un LM
epi v dk brown-black, K-
hymen clear, with POL+ white streaks
hypo dk brown
 SPORE 8 per ascus, brown almost immediately, ellip to bean, 2 cells, smooth, thick-walled, septum no thicker or thinner than walls, one cell larger than other, 17-24x7.9-9.1um (Q=1.8-2.8) (N=3), walls 1.3-1.4um thick
In the end, I'm deciding against B. disciformis because the apothecia are often strongly convex.

Less old apo section, in water, at 400x. Very old apo section, in water, at 400x. Old and young apothecia, in water, at 400x. Old and young apothecia, in water, at 100x. Immature spores, in K, at 1000x. Semi-mature spores, in K, at 1000x. Mature spores, in K, at 1000x. Lots of spores, in K, at 1000x. Spores of all ages, in K, at 1000x. Mature spores, in K, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, at 400x. Apo section, in water, at 400x. Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 30x. 

Buellia dakotensis? [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood fragment
 THAL dk brown, thin, subsquamulose to areolate, scattered, K-, KC-, C-
 APO tiny, start lecanorine become lecideine, black, prominant rim in age
epi dk brown, K-
hymen clear becoming brown in extreme age, not inspersed
hypo clear quickly becoming brown to dark brown
para branched, tips quite swollen with brown pigmented caps
 SPORE 8 per ascus, brown, ellip, obtuse ends, constricted mid to old age, brief grayish stage, thin walled throughout, smooth throughout, (14)16+/-1.4(19)x(6.2)7.2+/-0.74(8.7)um (Q=(1.8)2.2+/-0.25(3.0)) (N=28)
Weird lichen, key unsatisfying.

Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 10x. 

Lepraria? [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper bark
 THAL leprose, granular greenish soredia piled high
 APO none
Note sure how to ever start...

Asci and paraphyses, in IKI, at 1000x. Spore, in water, at 1000x. Apo section, in water, at 400x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 400x. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Apothecia, at 30x. Apothecia, at 30x. 

Candelariella aurella [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper bark, often on or among other lichens
 THAL none or scattered areoles, yellow, smooth, K-
 APO lecanorine, yellow, disc darker yellow, K-, epi and cortex w POL+ golden granules insol in K
hymen clear, IKI-
hypo clear
para simple, clear, barely swollen toward rounded tips
asci thick IKI- wall, IKI+ blue thickenings around tip but canal penetrating all the way to outer wall
 SPORE oblong, clear, smooth, 1 cell, 16x6um (Q=2.7) (N=1)

isidiate lumpy greenish crust [voucher] 

Thallus, at 10x. Spores, in water, at 1000x. Mazaedium sections, at 100x. Thallus, at 30x. 

Cyphelium pinicola [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood with a number of other crusts incuding Caloplaca and Buellia
 THAL bright yellow-green, rimose, dull, K-, KC-, C-
 APO mazaediate, black, semi-immersed (fully immersed when very young), epruinose, exciple wall brown-black and thick esp below, spore mass brown-black
 SPORE 2 cell, constricted, essentially smooth, dark brown, (18)19+/-1.0(21)x(11)12+/-0.94(14)um (Q=(1.2)1.5+/-0.12(1.7)) (N=11)

Buellia disciformis 

/chloroleuca

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood with a number of other crusts incuding Caloplaca and Buellia
 THAL light gray, thick, areolate
areoles < 0.5mm, strongly convex, smooth
K-, KC-, C-
 APO lecideine, black, plane soon v convex, rim prom when young soon becoming thin and inconspic
epi dk brown, K-
hymen clear, IKI+ strong blue
hypo dk brown
para thin, not heavily branched, with large bulbous brown-capped tips
 SPORE 8 per ascus, ellip, often bent, dk brown almost immediately, 2 cell (often 1-2 additional "false" septae), smooth, (18)21+/-3.1(31)x(7.0)8.5+/-1.0(11)um (Q=(2.0)2.4+/-0.17(2.8)) (N=23)

Immature spores, in water, at 1000x. Less mature spore, in water, at 1000x. Mature spore, in water, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 400x. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Thallus, at 30x. 

Rinodina grandilocularis [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on juniper wood with a number of other crusts incuding Caloplaca and Buellia
 THAL brown, lumpy to almost lobulate, smooth
 APO lecanorine
disc black, plane, epruinose
rim like thallus, adnate, epi brown, hymen clear, hypo clear, exciple clear, cortex clear and even, para brown-capped and swollen, K-
 SPORE 8 per ascus, 2 cell, clear aging grey then brown, septum appearing early, Physconia-type (having angular lumina with thickened tips at first but becoming thin walled throughout almost as soon as they turn brown), strongly constricted at maturity even becoming almost separated whe over-mature, (16)16+/-0.45(17)x(8.7)9.5+/-0.66(10)um (Q=(1.6)1.7+/-0.077(1.8)) (N=5)

Spores, in water, at 1000x. Spores, in water, at 1000x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 400x. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Thallus, at 30x. 

Lecanora juniperina? [] [voucher] 

 GEN crustose lichen, on bark of juniper twig with Physcia
 THAL dispersed areolate, light gray, K-, C-, KC-, smooth
 APO densely crowded
disc pale yellowish to blue-gray, flat, lightly grayish pruinose
rim prominant, raised, thalline, dentate/crenulate
epi yellowish, filled w abundant POL+ small white crystalline granules, granules insol in K
hymen clear, hypo clear
cortex clear, POL+ white small crystals insol in K
 SPORE 8 per ascus, clear, 1 cell, ellip, smooth, (8.0)9.5+/-1.1(10)x(5.0)6.2+/-0.77(7.3)um (Q=(1.3)1.5+/-0.21(1.9)) (N=10)
Much like L. hagenii but perhaps it is this new species, L. juniperina  it is certainly in the right place...

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Last changed on November 13, 2008