TYPE. United Kingdom. Staveley, 1886, Martindale s.n. (H-NYL, lectotype selected by Wade 1965).

Description. Life form: lichenized fungus.

Thallus squamulose; squamules flat to flexuose, contiguous; surface yellow. Vegetative diaspores soredia, on squamule margins, eventually covering much of the surface, pale yellow or orange, paler than thallus, (20-)25-50(-55) µm diam. Ascomata lecanorine apothecia, frequent (in British material), adnate, 0.3-0.8 mm diam., disk flat to slightly convex, deeper color than thallus; thalline margin rarely sorediate. Epithecium with numerous yellow-brown crystals; hymenium 65-80 µm thick, hyaline; hypothecium hyaline. Paraphyses broadening to 7 µm at tip. Asci clavate, 8-spored; ascospores hyaline, polarilocular, the septum 2.5-4 (-5) μm thick (~40% of spore length), (9-)9.3-13(-14) × (4.5-)4.8-7(-8) µm. Conidiomata pycnidia; conidia bacilliform, 2-3.5 (-4) x 1-1.5 µm.

Chemistry. All parts K+ magenta (anthaquinone pigments).

Substrate and Habitat. Saxicolous on calcareous and noncalcareous rocks in outcrops and artificial substrates (e.g., concrete), less frequently corticolous on alkaline bark of trees in exposed areas.

Distribution. Eurasia and North America; in North Carolina found throughout.

Literature

Arup, U., U. Søchting & P. Frödén (2013) A new taxonomy of the family Teloschistaceae. Nordic Journal of Botany 31(1): 16-83.

Fletcher, A. & J.R. Laundon (2009) Caloplaca Th. Fr. (1860). Pp. 245-273 in Smith, C.W., A. Aptroot, B.J. Coppins, A. Fletcher, O.L. Gilbert, P.W. James & P.A. Wolseley (eds.). The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland. The British Lichen Society, London.