CA, Southern California, 20081001
Mt Wilson, saxicolous lichens. 

On backside of Mt. Wilson along road not far east from Eaton Saddle.  On granite just above road, both exposed and under scrub oaks.

Nice one, in situ. Nice one, in situ. 

Umbilicaria phaea [] 

Thalline section, at 400x. (Interrupted algal layer obvious here!)Thalline section, at 100x. (Interrupted algal layer obvious here!)Thalline section, at 30x.  (Really can't see hypal bundles interrupting algal layer here.)Lobes and young apothecia, at 30x. Disintigrating patch, on granite, with Lecanora. Nice patch, in granite nook, with Lecanora. Large patch, sheletered by small north-facing overhang, with Lecanora. Few confluent rosettes, with some Physconia and Aspicilia. Beautiful rosette, on granite. 

Lecanora muralis [] [voucher] 

 THAL lobed
lobes to 1mm wide, longer, plane, edges somewhat thickened, lt yellowish-green, shiny, epruinose, thin black margin
KC+ gold
 MED solid and v thick
 ALG algal layer interrupted conspicuously (in this section) by hyphal bundles
 APO densely crowded in older parts of thallus, arising near margins, prominant from the very beginning
rim thalline, smooth and thick and prominant when young, becoming even with disk and eventually almost excluded with a white pruinose outer edge
disc to 4-5mm wide, plane becoming undulate to sl convex, light pinkish orange, epruinose
Strongly lobate with narrow lobes, interrupted algal layer, C- cortex/medulla, greenish (as opposed to brownish) color indicate L. muralis muralis without question.

Large patch, sheletered by small north-facing overhang, with Lecanora. 

Lepraria [voucher] 

Nice patch, in granite nook, with Lecanora. 

Lecidea mannii [] 

Spores, in K, at 1000x. Asci and spores, in K, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, at 100x, polarized. 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. Disintigrating patch, on granite, with Lecanora. 

Lecanora [] 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
 THAL lt gray, not yellowish at all, strongly verruculose, areolate, K+y, C-
 APO lecanorine, (1.3)1.8+/-0.3(2.4)mm (N=10), strongly constricted to subpedicillate (lower cortex nearly complete)
rim like thallus, almost squamulose
disc orangish brownish, lightly pruinose, convex when young becoming strongly convex
epi brown, POL+ white small crystals, crystals and pigment dissolve in K, C-
hymen clear
hypo clear, small POL+ white crystals present dissolving in K
amph cortex present with small POL+ white granules dissolving in K, alg almost continuous in two layers (both a layer immediately below hypothecium and a layer next to lower cortex), large POL+ white crystals not dissolving in K
para clear, simple, long and narrow, minutely abruptly swollen rounded tips
 SPORE 8 per ascus, ellip, clear, simple, (12)14+/-2(18)x(4.4)6.3+/-0.9(8.2)um (Q=(1.8)2.3+/-0.2(2.8)) (N=17)
This doesn't match anything in Nash, key failing conspicuously (takes you to L. farinacea which only occurs in Chihuahua and which has no large crystals in the amphithecium).

Asus and spores, in water, at 1000x. Apo section, in K, 100x, polarized. Apo section, in K, 100x. Apo section, in water, 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, 100x. Thallus, at 30x. Thallus, at 10x. Nice patch, in situ. 

Lecanora cenisia [] [voucher] 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
 THAL ashen white, remose, indistinct margin, K+y, dull
 APO lecanorine
rim like thallus, even to slightly prominant, smooth, persistant
disc dk reddish brown, plane, weakly pruinose
epi brown, some POL+ white small granules inspersing into upper hymenium and clearing in K
hymen (clear), hypo (clear)
amph lots of algae, algae not continuous, cortex and medulla strongly POL+ white and not clearing in K
para unbr, not conglutinated, barely swollen at tips
 SPORE 8 per ascus, clear, simple, ellip, 13-15x8.0-9.3um (Q=1.4-1.8) (N=3)

Spore, in chemical soup, at 1000x. Apo section, in C, at 100x. Apo section, in water, at 100x, polarized. Apo section, in water, at 100x. Several apothecia on rock fragment, at 30x. Several apothecia on rock fragment, at 10x. Large patch, on granite face. Several apothecia, in granite nook. 

Lecidea diducens [] [voucher] 

 THAL endolithic
 APO black, scattered
rim sl prom, undulate, shiny, smooth, black, thickish, even
disc black, plane, epruinose
exciple dark brown layer outside light brownish-reddish interior, POL+ bright white, C+ red
epi dk green, K-, min POL+ granules descending into hymenium in little tendrils
hymen light green, K/I+ intense blue obscuring everything
hypothecium brown
asci no way to see K/I stain, thick tip
para green capped swollen tips, unbranched, strongly conglutinated, not separating in K
 SPORE 8 per ascus, narrowly oblong, one end often a bit thicker, bluntly rounded tips, clear, simple but with two bubbles in every one making them look 2-celled, (14)16+/-1.5(19)x(4.2)4.8+/-0.66(6.5)um (Q=(2.8)3.5+/-0.55(4.5)) (N=11)

Rhizoplaca melanophthalma [] 

Spores, in K/I, at 1000x. Spore, in K/I, at 1000x. Paraphyses, in K/I, at 1000x. Ascus and spores, in K/I, at 1000x. Apo section, in K/I, at 100x. Apo exciple, in K, at 400x. 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. Large patch, on granite. 

Aspicilia confusa [] [voucher] 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
 THAL small convex areoles, gray to light gray, dull, K-
 MED white, K/I-, K-
 APO cryptolecanorine, rim same as thallus, aphithecium filled with POL+ whitish not dissolving in K
epi brown, some POL+ white smalll granules insol in K
hymen clear, K/I+ blue
hypo clear, K/I+ weak bluish
para submoniliform to moniliform, at least 3 often more than 4 swollen cells toward end, width (3.2)4.1+/-0.4(4.6)um (N=10), K/I wea gold
asci thick I- tip with hole in it showing blue walls through it if viewed end-on, clavate
 SPORE 8 per ascus, ellip, clear, simple, ~1um thick wall, smooth, often K/I+ red on either end, (17)20+/-2(25)x(10)11+/-1(15)um (Q=(1.4)1.8+/-0.2(2.2)) (N=13), walls (0.7)0.9+/-0.2(1.2)um (N=11)

Thallus (sterile), at 30x. Thallus (sterile), at 10x. Large bumpy patch, in situ, with Lecanora. 

Aspicilia pacifica? [] 

 GEN crust lichen, on granite
 THAL mounded, continuous to rimose, mottle light tan to darker olive-brown, smooth, K+ slow orangish yellow
 MED whitish, K+ slow orangish yellow
 APO couldn't find any in the samples I brought back
Assuming arbitrarily that this is Aspicilia, it keys out to a few, of which A. pacifica looks the best.

Nice patch, in granite nook, with Lecanora. Few confluent rosettes, with some Physconia and Aspicilia. 

Physconia isidiigera [] 

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