TYPE. UNITED STATES. PENNSYLVANIA, Chester County, in hilly woods on rocks, Michener 209 (FH 00079995, lectotype designated by Bungartz & Nash 2004; isolectotypes in DUKE and US).

Description. Lichenized fungus.

Thallus crustose, continuous to rimose-areolate, whitish; hypothallus black. Ascomata lecideine apothecia, emergent, 0.2-0.5 mm diam.; disk black, flat, often with thalline veil; margin pale to black, thin, persistent. Hymenium hyaline, not inspersed; hypothecium dark brown. Asci clavate, 8-spored. Ascospores brown, 2-celled, ellipsoid, walls thin; Beltraminia-type (i.e., no septum thickening), 11-15 x 5-6 µm.

Chemistry. Medulla I+ blue; norstictic and stictic acid.

Substrate and Habitat. Saxicolous on granitic and quartzite rock.

Distribution. Eastern North America; in North Carolina found in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge ecoregions.

Literature

Bungartz, F. & T.H. Nash, III. (2004) The Buellia aethalea-group in the Greater Sonoran Desert Region with reference to similar species in North America. The Bryologist 107(4): 441-458.

Fink, B. (1935) The Lichen Flora of the United States. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. 426 pp. (description as Buellia stigmaea).

Tuckerman, E. (1888) A synopsis of the North American lichens. Part. II. Comprising the Lecideacei, and (in part) the Graphidacei. New Bedford, Mass. 176 pp. (original description as Buellia stigmaea).