TYPE. UNITED STATES. Louisiana. Tangipahoa, Tangipahoa River, Along mouth of Tangipahoa River on Lake Pontchartrain (north shore), 22.X.1978, S.C. Tucker 17958 (LSU, holotype).
Life form. Lichenized fungus.
Description. [Modified from Lendemer & Noell 2018] Thallus crustose, indistinct, immersed in the substrate, barely visible as a brownish or yellowish stain; prothallus indistinct or absent. Vegetative diaspores absent. PhotobiontTrentepohlia alga. Ascomata perithecioid, small, 0.2–0.4 mm diam., partially immersed in the substrate, wall flesh colored. Exciple pale brownish-yellow; epihymenium hyaline; hymenium hyaline, not inspersed; hypothecium hyaline. Asci 8-spored, uniseriate; ascospores hyaline, subglobose, submuriform, 16–22 × 9–12 μm. Conidiomata not reported.
Chemistry. Spot tests negative; no substances detected by TLC.
Substrate and habitat. Corticolous on hardwoods.
Distribution. Southeastern North America; in North Carolina found sparingly in the Blue Ridge and Coastal Plain eocregions, expected throughout.
Literature
Jørgensen, PM; Vězda, A. (1984) Topelia, a Mediterranean lichen genus. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia79: 501-511 (original description).
Lendemer, J.C. & N. Noell. (2018) Delmarva Lichens: An illustrated manual. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Society28: 1-386.