Aspicilia
Mostly crustose species having a green alga; most species with areoles, some effigurate, others sorediate, mostly whitish or grey, some green or brown; apothecia usually sunken in the thallus, with thalline tissues forming a sort of rim; hymenium of straight, mostly unbranched, gel-embedded paraphyses that are tipped in numerous round cells like a string of beads (moniliform), upper portions of the hymenium with green or brown pigment; hypothecium more or less colourless; asci broadly clavate or cylindrical, with an IKI-, thick tholus, the outer layer of the exterior wall IKI+ blue; spores 8 per ascus, elliptical to globose, colourless.
References: Foucard 2001; Owe-Larsson et al. 2007.
Aspicilia sp. 1
Thallus areolate, the areoles chaotically arranged, light brown; apothecia sunken, with a thin but prominent and persistent rim tipped in a ring of whitish pruina; spores (2‑) 4 (‑6) per ascus, uniseriate in the cylindric asci, 16-20 × 10-12 µ.
Reactions: Cortex of the thallus (especially around the apothecia) K+ yellow turning red.
Contents: TLC not done, but probably with at least norstictic acid.
Habitat: On wood of a dust-impregnated decorticated branch in a dry, middle elevation forest clearing.
Similar Species: Megaspora verrucosa is similar, but has a whitish or grey thallus and lacks the distinct ring of whitish pruina around the apothecia.
Specimens: Goward s.n. (2008, First Canyon Uplands), hb. Goward.
Local Status: Rare.
Notes: Known only from the study area.