Hypocenomyce scalaris

Hypocenomyce scalaris

A species of lichenized fungi within the Ophioparmaceae family. Thallus green to green-brown, more greyish when dry, consisting of overlapping scales with ascending, sorediate tips; apothecia rare, black, discs pruinose. Widespread and locally common on acid-barked trees, fences, and sheltered, siliceous rocks.
Hypocenomyce scalaris Hypocenomyce scalaris, a lichen, on decorticated roots of an overturned tamarack (Larix laricina). The black discs are the lichen's apothecia. "Thallus green to green-brown, more greyish when dry, consisting of overlapping scales with ascending, sorediate tips; apothecia rare, black, discs pruinose. Widespread and locally common on acid-barked trees, fences and sheltered, siliceous rocks." (http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/Hypocenomyce_scalaris.html) Geotagged,Hypocenomyce scalaris,Ophioparmaceae,Spring,United States,lichens

Appearance

Thallus: squamulose squamules: up to 1.2 (-2.0) mm diam., normally ascending and geotropically oriented, weakly convex or strongly convex upper surface: grayish green or yellowish to dark brown, dull; margin: entire or slightly crenulate, not or slightly upturned, concolorous with upper side soredia: greenish brown, farinose to granular, in labriform soralia upper cortex: up to 40 µm thick, composed of thin-walled hyphae Apothecia: up to 1.5 (-2.5) mm diam., marginal, plane; disc: black, bluish white pruinose, egyrose; margin: remaining prominent, entire or flexuose; exciple: composed of loosely conglutinated hyphae, containing crystals (C+ red), colorless in inner part, green in the rim, K-, N+ violet; hypothecium: light brown or dark brown; epithecium: olivaceous green, containing crystals (C+ red), K-, N+ violet; paraphyses: without swelling or pigment cap in apical cell asci: remaining immature ascospores: unknown Pycnidia: sessile, black, attached marginally or laminally to the upper or lower surface or apparently directly to the substrate conidia: bacilliform, 5-7.5 x c. 1 µm Spot tests: upper cortex and medulla K-, C+ red, KC+ red, P- Secondary metabolite: lecanoric acid.
Hypocenomyce scalaris Hypocenomyce scalaris on a very old (over 50 years) conifer (pine?) wood utility pole. Northeastern exposure, sunny for about half of the day. Geotagged,Hypocenomyce scalaris,Spring,United States

Naming

Hypocenomyce scalaris (Ach. ex Lilj.) M. Choisy
Biatora ostreata (Hoffm.) Fr.
Lecanora ostreata (Hoffm.) Rabenh.
Lecanora scalaris (Gray) A. Dietr.
Lecidea ostreata Schaer.
Lecidea ostreata f. hemisphaerica Servít
Lecidea ostreata f. minor Erichsen
Lecidea ostreata f. ostreata (Hoffm.) Schaer.
Lecidea ostreata var. myrmecina (Ach.) Nyl.
Lecidea ostreata var. ostreata (Hoffm.) Schaer.
Lecidea ostreata var. vulgaris Th. Fr.
Lecidea scalaris (Ach. ex Lilj.) Ach.
Lecidea scalaris f. minor Erichsen
Lecidea scalaris f. perrevoluta Erichsen
Lecidea scalaris f. scalaris (Ach. ex Lilj.) Ach.
Lecidea scalaris var. myrmecina Ach.
Lecidea scalaris var. scalaris (Ach. ex Lilj.) Ach.
Lepidoma scalare Gray
Lichen scalaris Ach. ex Lilj.
Parmelia ostreata (Hoffm.) Fr.
Patellaria ostreata (Hoffm.) Wallr.
Placodium ostreatum (Hoffm.) Link
Psora ostreata Hoffm., Psora scalaris (Ach.) Hook.
Psora scalaris var. myrmecina (Ach.) Räsänen
Psora scalaris var. scalaris (Ach. ex Lilj.) Hook.
Psora scalaris var. vulgaris (Th. Fr.) Räsänen
Schaereria ostreata (Hoffm.) Gyeln.
Hypocenomyce scalaris Hypocenomyce scalaris, a lichen, on decorticated roots of an overturned tamarack (Larix laricina). "Thallus green to green-brown, more greyish when dry, consisting of overlapping scales with ascending, sorediate tips; apothecia rare, black, discs pruinose. Widespread and locally common on acid-barked trees, fences and sheltered, siliceous rocks." (http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/Hypocenomyce_scalaris.html) Geotagged,Hypocenomyce scalaris,Ophioparmaceae,Spring,United States,lichens

Distribution

World distribution: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

Habitat

Substrate and ecology: on bark and wood, often charred, mainly on conifers in coniferous forests, at 290-3000 m altitude.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/Hypocenomyce_scalaris.html
http://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=54050
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocenomyce
Taxonomy
KingdomFungi
DivisionAscomycota
ClassLecanoromycetes
OrderLecanorales
FamilyOphioparmaceae
GenusHypocenomyce
SpeciesHypocenomyce scalaris
Photographed in
United States of America