Epiphytic Crustose Lichens of the Clearwater Valley, British Columbia

Absconditella

Very small, inconspicuous crust lichens with a trebouxioid alga in a thin, filmy thallus; apothecia mostly pale, with the disc level with or sunken below the level of the rim; the rim consisting of only an exciple, which is formed more or less parallel hyphae, or of cells; hymenium with more or less simple paraphyses embedded in gel; asci thin-walled along the sides, modestly thickened at the tip, IKI- or pale bluish; spores colourless, transversely septate, elliptic to fusiform.

References: Spribille et al. 2009.

Absconditella lignicola Vězda & Pišút

Thallus a thin, inconspicuous green film, often intermixed with thalli of other lichens; apothecia adnate, shallowly concave to flat, scattered, pale tan or whitish, with a thin but persistent non-algal rim coloured like the disc; spores 3-septate, 10-15 × 4.5-6.5  µ.

Reactions: All spot tests negative.

Contents: No lichen substances known.

Habitat: On moist but hard wood of logs in forest understory. Lower to middle elevations.

Similar Species: Species of the unlichenized genus Cryptodiscus are morphologically very similar, and appear to differ from Absconditella only in lacking algae.

Local Status: Rare.