TYPE. UNITED STATES. Alabama, Randolph County, west side of Tallapoosa River, near Blakes Ferry. R. McVaugh 4588 (US, holotype).
Description.Life form: lichenized fungus.
[Modified from Hale 1984] Thallus foliose, loosely attached, yellowish-green, 6-13 cm wide; lobes sublinear, 2-5 mm wide. Upper surface flat, continuous, emaculate, sparsely to moderately isidiate; isidia short, branched with age, 0.08-0.1 mm diam. by up to 1 mm high. Photobiont chlorococcoid alga. Lower surface black, brown near margins; rhizines sparse to moderately abundant, black. Ascomata lecanorine apothecia, common, sessile, 3-6 mm diam. Hymenium 55-60 μm high; ascospores simple, hyaline, 7-9 x 5-6 μm.
Chemistry. Stictic, constictic, norstictic and usnic acids.
Substrate and habitat. Saxicolous on open sandstone and granite rock outcrops.
Distribution. Southeastern North America; in North Carolina recorded from the Piedmont ecoregion.
Notes. Similar to X. conspersa, distinguished by larger, more loosely adnate thallus and long, linear lobes.
Literature
Hale, M.E. (1984) New species of Xanthoparmelia (Vain.) Hale (Ascomycotina: Parmeliaceae). Mycotaxon20: 73-79.