| Lecidea hassei | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecideales |
| Family: | Lecideaceae |
| Genus: | Lecidea |
| Species: | L. hassei
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lecidea hassei
Zahlbr. (1912)
| |
Lecidea hassei (Hasse's lecidea lichen) is an endolithic lichen that appears as tiny black, gray rimmed, plate-like or crinkled discs between crystals of rock in California. [1] The main body grows inside solid rock (endolithic), and the crinkled discs above the rock surface are the sexual reproduction structures. [1] It is endemic to California, where it only grows in the lower montane belt, including in deserts and chaparral. [1] [2] It occurs in Joshua Tree National Park. [3] The sexual reproduction structures ( apothecia) are black, thinly rimmed (70–100 µm ) with unpigmented fungal tissue surrounding black discs in the middle, and up to 2.2 mm in diameter. [1] They rise out of the rock in a flat to convex disc with a constricted base, [1] giving the appearance of tiny raised plates. It grows in open areas on granite, schist, and other acidic rock. [1] It resembles Lecidea laboriosa but produces schizopeltic acid as a metabolite, instead of 4-O-demethyl planaic acid. [1] The species epithet honors H.E. Hasse, who wrote the 1913 "Lichen Flora of Southern California". [1] Lichen spot tests are negative on both the cortex and medulla (K−, C−, KC−, P−).
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2, Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bugartz, F., (eds.) 2001, [1]
- ^ The Lichen Flora of Joshua Tree National Park An Annotated Checklist, Kerry Knudsen, Mitzi Harding, Josh Hoines, National Park Service, [2]
- ^ Lichens, Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service