Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2007. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3.

Life habit: lichenized Thallus: crustose to subfruticose, areolate or elongate lobed, with elongated lobes, 3-6 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm wide, prothallus: absent surface: orange, smooth, without asexual propagules cortex: cellular, thin, 7-55 µm, granules absent; medulla dense, without granules Apothecia: stipitate, 0.5-1.5 mm, lecanorine disc: orange, flat, epruinose margin: persistent; thalline margin present, concolorous with thallus; proper margin visible, concolorous with disc parathecium: cellular (paraplectenchymatous); exciple below hypothecium prosoplectenchymatous epihymenium: golden, K+ red, H-, 10%N-, cN-, C- hymenium: hyaline, 70-85 µm tall paraphyses: 2-3 tip cells slightly swollen, with some branching; subhymenium hyaline asci: cylindrical, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 2 locules, ellipsoid, 12.5-7 x 5.5-7 µm, isthmus 1.5-3 µm, spore end wall thin Pycnidia: present, totally immersed, ostiole orange Spot tests: apothecial margin K+ red, H-, 10% N-, cN-, C-; thallus K+ red, H-, 10%N-, cN-, C-; medulla IKI+ blue Secondary metabolites: parietin, fallacinal, emodin, and teloschistin. Substrate and ecology: on non-calcareous rocks World distribution: western North America Sonoran distribution: Arizona. Notes: Caloplaca cladodes differs especially in the anatomical structure of the cortex from C. coralloides and C. thamnodes and the latter species are much larger. The latter two species are restricted to coastal situations in western North America while C. cladodes is inland. Only the upper external portions of the plants become pigmented in C. cladodes and seem to be alive, whereas the lower portions are unpigmented or dark. [medulla of stalk I+ blue]. When growing in rock crevices the thallus is tall but on hard rock it is very short.