Buellia
Crustose or parasitic species having a trebouxioid alga or algae lacking; thallus smooth, areolate, granular, sorediate, or immersed, white, grey, brown, bluish green or creamy yellowish; apothecia black, with a non-algal, black rim, some species with a whitish pruina; rim formed of rounded cells or cylindrical hyphae, with dark brown pigments infused in the binding gel; hymenium sometimes with conspicuous oil droplets, formed of mostly unbranched paraphyses embedded in gel, these usually with dark pigments at the tip; upper hymenium with brown pigments in the gel; hypothecium brown or unpigmented; asci similar to Bacidia-type; spores usually 8 per ascus, medium to dark grey-brown or brown, always with at least one septum, some species only transversely septate, others (sub)muriform, septae thin or variously thickened.
Note: A broader view of Buellia is taken here than in some recent literature. Some species should be split out into Hafellia, but the limits of that genus are unclear since the characters that delimit it are found in varying combinations in some species of Buellia. Both Amandinea and Diplotomma are not accepted here. Again, some species of Buellia may best be split out into these genera, but that still leaves a polyphyletic Buellia, and the limits of the segregate genera are not well defined, especially in light of recently discovered species having intermediate characters that bridge them to Buellia. Until relationships among Physciaceae are better understood, an inclusive Buellia is preferred here. See also notes under Rinodina.
References: Tønsberg 1992; Nordin 1999; Foucard et al. 2002; Helms et al. 2003; Spribille 2006; Bungartz et al. 2007; Spribille & Björk 2008.
| 1a. | Thallus sorediate …2 |
| 2a. | Thallus K+ yellow turning red, producing red crystals, C- or C+ orange, P+ yellow-orange; soralia flat to convex; soredia usually lacking bluish tones; spores submuriform, 15-28 × 7-13 µ …Buellia griseovirens |
| 2b. | Thallus K- or K+ yellow, C-, P-; soralia often with bluish tones; spores 1-septate, 17-28 × 7.5-12.5 µ …Buellia arborea |
| 1b. | Thallus lacking soredia …3 |
| 3a. | Outer walls of the spores with strongly uneven thickenings such that the inner and outer wall surfaces are not parallel throughout …4 |
| 4a. | Apothecial rim conspicuously paler than the disc; hymenium lacking oil droplets; spores 14-16 × 7-8 µ …Rinodina anomaloides ined. |
| 4b. | Apothecial rim and disc both jet black; hymenium conspicuously inspersed with large oil droplets; spores 20-31 × 10-16 µ …Buellia borealis ined. |
| 3b. | Spore walls not unevenly thickened, the inner and outer wall surface parallel throughout …5 |
| 5a. | Spores (sub)muriform …6 |
| 6a. | Thallus with xanthones, UV+ orange; apothecia usually not crowded, usually with an obscure or receding rim; spores 22-35 × 10-14 µ, with 8-18 cells per side; mostly at upper forested elevations …Buellia subalpina ined. |
| 6b. | Thallus lacking xanthones, UV-; apothecia often clustered, usually with a prominent, persistent rim; spores 14-24 (‑28) × 8-13 (‑15) µ, with 6-10 cells per side; mostly at lower elevations …Buellia penichra |
| 5b. | Spores with only 1 septum …7 |
| 7a. | Spores 6-10 × 2.5-4.5 µ; conidiospores 2-3 µ long …Buellia schaereri |
| 7b. | Spores at least 9.5 µ long and 5 µ wide; conidiospores longer …8 |
| 8a. | Thallus thin and of drab olive to brownish colours or, if immersed, then not producing a prominent stain in the wood, K- or K+ only weak yellow …9 |
| 9a. | Spores rather narrow in outline, 10-16 × 5-8 (‑9) µ, usually with minute warts (visible at 1250 × magnification), not or weakly constricted at the rim; thallus thin to thick, smooth to rimose and warted, pale to dark grey; lichen substances absent; very common …Buellia punctata |
| 9b. | Spores broader in outline, 10-12 × 6-8 µ, smooth, well constricted at the septum; thallus brown to olive-grown, areolate, verruculose or rarely scurfy and whitish; rare …Buellia turgidopunctata ined. |
| 8b. | Thallus either thick and surficial, or K+ yellow, orange or red; hymenium of some with oil droplets …10 |
| 10a. | Many or most asci with 12 or 16 spores …Buellia polyspora |
| 10b. | All asci with no more than 8 spores …11 |
| 11a. | Thallus K+ yellow changing to reddish, producing red crystals; hymenium lacking oil droplets; spores 13-21 × 6-9 µ …Buellia erubescens |
| 11b. | Thallus K- or K+ remaining yellow to orange; hymenium sometimes with oil droplets; spores various …12 |
| 12a. | Hymenium containing abundant oil droplets visible in water mount; spores 13-30 × 6.5-13 µ …Buellia disciformis |
| 12b. | Hymenium lacking oil droplets; spores various …13 |
| 13a. | Thallus C+ golden yellow or orange, UV+ orange; spores 20-28 × 8-11 µ …Buellia cf. chloroleuca C+ form |
| 13b. | Thallus C-, UV-; spores various …14 |
| 14a. | Thallus white, K+ yellow; apothecia semi-immersed in the thallus, with a thin, inconspicuous, receding rim; spore walls paler at the ends; spores 13-17 × 6-8 µ …Buellia caribooensis ined. |
| 14b. | Thallus grey or blue-gray, K-; apothecia surficial, the rim various; spores various …15 |
| 15a. | Apothecia 0.1-0.3 mm wide, most in tight clusters of 2-4 together; spores 13-17 × 7-8 µ; known to the south of the study area, to be sought …[Buellia delicatula Björk ined.] |
| 15b. | Apothecia 0.3-0.7 mm wide; spores 18-23 × 7-10.5 …Buellia cf. chloroleuca C- form |
Buellia arborea Coppins & Tønsberg
Thallus areolate, but mostly immersed except for the soralia, which emerge from between wood grains, the soredia bluish grey, greenish grey, or sometimes brownish, 20-30 µ wide; apothecia very rare, jet black, with a thick, persistent rim; spores 1-septate, 19-25 × 8.5-10 µ.
Reactions: K- or K+ yellow, C-, PD-, UV-.
Contents: Atranorin and Placodiolic acid.
Habitat: On hard, weathered wood, especially decorticated branches, less often on bark. All forested elevations.
Similar Species: In Buellia griseovirens the thallus reacts PD+ yellow-orange and K+ yellow turning red. It also differs in characters of the spores, though B. arborea is rarely fertile.
Specimens: Björk 12317.
Local Status: Common.
Buellia borealis Björk ined.
Thallus creamy white or greyish, smooth or areolate, waxy, often surrounded by a blackish prothallus; apothecia jet-black, with a thin but persistent rim, waxy or glossy; hymenium densely inspersed with oil droplets, about 65 µ high; hypothecium colourless; spores 8 per ascus, 1-septate, Callispora-type, having unevenly thickened walls such that the lumina early in spore development are pear-shaped with their narrower ends converging, medium grey-brown, becoming thin-walled and pure brown with overmaturity, 20-31 × 10-16 µ.
Reactions: Thallus K+ yellow, C-, PD- or PD+ pale yellow, UV-.
Contents: Atranorin.
Habitat: On bark of conifers and shrubs in Betula-Populus-Picea forests. Lower elevations.
Similar Species: Buellia penichra differs in having even versus uneven spore walls. Buellia erubescens has smaller spores and consistently thin spore walls.
Specimens: Björk 9847b, 12850; Goward 78-609, 02-2131.
Local Status: Uncommon.
Notes: Known only from inland BC.
Buellia caribooensis Björk ined.
Thallus creamy white or greyish, cracked-areolate, waxy, with a grey or blackish prothallus; apothecia matte, jet black, 0.2-0.4 mm wide, with a thin, receding rim, the disc becoming domed; hymenium lacking oil droplets, 45-60 µ high; hyopthecium colourless; spores 8 per ascus, 1-septate, medium grey-brown, paler at the ends, 13-17 × 6-8 µ.
Reactions: K+ yellow, C-, PD-, UV-.
Contents: Unknown, but probably with atranorin.
Habitat: Collected once on Alnus bark at edge of lake shore at lower elevation.
Similar Species: Buellia erubescens is similar, but the thallus reacts K+ yellow turning red, and the spores are evenly pigmented rather than pale at the ends. Buellia disciformis is also similar, but has larger apothecia and dense oil droplets in the hymenium.
Specimens: Goward 79-1335.
Local Status: Rare.
Notes: Known only from the study area.
Buellia cf. chloroleuca Körb. (C- form)
Thallus whitish or bluish green-gray, areolate, verrucose, or smooth in some parts, some areoles lifting on the edges (subsquamulose), or immersed in wood and producing a bluish grey stain; apothecia mostly crowded, 0.3-0.7 mm wide, matte jet black, the rim prominent and persistent, the disc remaining flat or low-convex; hymenium colourless, lacking oil, 70-100 µ high; hypothecium medium to dark grey brown; upper hymenium light to medium brown; spores dark brownish grey, with the outer wall constricted at the single crosswall, 18-23 × 7-10.5 µ.
Reactions: K- or slow brownish yellow, C-, PD-, UV-.
Contents: Unknown.
Habitat: On bark near the base of old Pseudotsuga trunks, also on old Populus tremuloides trunks, logs, stumps, and old stems of Juniperus communis. Lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: Buellia cf. chloroleuca (C+ orange form) differs in the C and UV reactions of the thallus, and in having generally larger spores.
Specimens: Goward 78-444A.
Local Status: Rare.
Notes: B. chloroleuca is reported as having spores 14-17 × 6-9 µ.
Buellia cf. chloroleuca Körb. (C+ orange form)
Thallus bluish green-gray, with areolate, verrucose or smooth in some parts; apothecia mostly crowded, 0.3-0.7 mm wide, matte jet black, the rim prominent and persistent, the disc remaining flat or low-convex; hymenium colourless, lacking oil, 90-95 µ high; upper hymenium light to medium brown; hypothecium medium to dark greyish brown or orangish brown; spores dark brownish grey, with the outer walls constricted at the single crosswall, 20-28 × 8-11 µ.
Reactions: K- or K+ slow brownish yellow, C+ deep orange, PD-, UV+ dull reddish orange.
Contents: Unknown, untested.
Habitat: On bark at base of large Pseudotsuga trunks. Lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: See notes under Buellia cf. chloroleuca (C- form).
Specimens: Björk 8644.
Local Status: Occasional.
Notes: B. chloroleuca is reported as having spores 14-17 × 6-9 µ.
Buellia disciformis (Fr.) Mudd
Thallus areolate, cracked or verruculose, or immersed, creamy whitish or greyish, often with a blackish prothallus; apothecia jet-black, 0.4-0.6 mm wide with a thick, persistent rim, the disc remaining flat or low-convex; hymenium densely inspersed with oil droplets; hypothecium medium to dark brown; spores medium grey-brown, 1-septate, elliptic-fusiform, the walls slightly thickened, more thickened early in development, 15-21 × 6-9 µ.
Reactions: Thallus K+ yellow, C-, PD-, UV-.
Contents: Atranorin.
Habitat: On bark, less often wood, usually on conifers. All forested elevations.
Similar Species: In B. erubescens the thallus reacts K+ yellow turning red, and the apothecia lack oil droplets in the hymenium.
Specimens: Björk 12215, 12235.
Local Status: Occasional.
Buellia erubescens Arnold
Thallus areolate or cracked, whitish, sometimes with a blackish prothallus; apothecia jet black, 0.3-0.7 mm wide, the rim thin and receding with maturity, the disc becoming high-convex; hymenium lacking oil droplets, hypothecium medium to dark brown; spores 11-15 × 6.5-8 µ, elliptic, evenly pigmented, lacking any conspicuous wall thickenings at maturity, but with an unevenly thickened septum early in development.
Reactions: K+ yellow turning red, C-, PD-.
Contents: Various, but always with atranorin and minor to major amounts of norstictic acid, also with or without connorstictic, salazinic, hyposalazinic acids and zeorin.
Habitat: On bark of conifers, rarely on wood or on broadleaf shrubs. Lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: Buellia borealis and B. disciformis have oil-inspersed hymenia. Buellia caribooensis has smaller apothecia and spores with pale ends.
Specimens: Goward 78-456B.
Local Status: Rare.
Buellia griseovirens (Turner & Borrer ex Sm.) Almb.
Thallus immersed, usually producing a whitish stain in the wood, erupting to the surface as elliptical soralia which produce pale yellowish to grey or blackish soredia; apothecia uncommon (none seen in the study area), 0.5-1 (‑2) mm wide, matte jet black, the rim prominent and persistent, the disc flat or low-convex; spores muriform, 15-28 × 7-13 µ.
Reactions: Soredia K+ yellow turning deep red, C- or C+ orange, PD+ yellow-orange.
Contents: Atranorin, norstictic acid, and griseovirens unknowns.
Habitat: Snags and decorticated branches of conifers, very rarely on Populus tremuloides wood or on bark of Pseudotsuga trunks. All forested elevations.
Similar Species: See notes under Xylographa vitiligo.
Specimens: Björk 12124A; Goward 01-215.
Local Status: Common.
Buellia penichra (Tuck.) Hasse
Thallus whitish, smooth or with a few lumps; apothecia single or clustered matte jet black, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, the rim prominent and persistent, the disc flat or low-convex; hymenium 50-95 µ high, pale yellowish brown, inspersed with abundant small oil droplets; upper hymenium light to dark brown; hypothecium dark brown; spores dark brownish grey, submuriform, with both length-wise and width-wise septae, the cell lumina rounded or somewhat angled, up to 16 cells visible from the side, 19-27 × 10-13 µ.
Reactions: Thallus K+ deep yellow, PD- or PD+ yellow.
Contents: Atranorin and often placodiolic acid.
Habitat: Bark of conifer trunks and branches and on decorticated conifer branches, very rare on Salix and Betula. Lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: No other local species has brown, muriform spores with rounded cell lumina. Lecidella species may appear similar macroscopically, but have bluish-black apothecia.
Specimens: Björk 10769, 13163; Goward 94-909.
Local Status: Occasional.
Buellia polyspora (Willey) Vain.
Thallus areolate, granular or immersed, rarely subsquamulose, pale greyish brown; apothecia jet black, 0.2-0.3 mm wide, with a thin, quickly receding rim, the disc becoming high-convex; hypothecium pale yellowish brown; hymenium lacking oil droplets; spores usually 16 per ascus, oblong to elliptical, 1-septate, the walls not thickened, not even early in development.
Reactions: Spot tests all negative.
Contents: No known lichen substances.
Habitat: On decaying bark of broadleaf shrubs. Lower elevations.
Similar Species: Buellia punctata has 8 spores per ascus.
Local Status: Rare.
Buellia punctata (Hoffm) A. Massal.
Syn. Amandinea punctata (Hoffm.) Coppins & Scheidegger
Thallus thin or immersed, rarely with a few lumps, pale to dark greenish grey; apothecia single or clustered, 0.2-0.5 mm wide, matte jet black, the rim thin, persistent or receding, the disc flat to strongly convex and becoming subspherical; hymenium colourless or pale yellowish brown, lacking oil droplets, 60-70 µ high; upper hymenium pale to dark brown; hypothecium pale to dark brown; spores dark brownish grey, the outer walls usually constricted at the single crosswall, 9-19 × 5-10 µ.
Reactions: All spot tests negative.
Contents: No known lichen substances.
Habitat: Any substrate, but usually above the winter snowpack and not on the youngest trees. Lower to (rarely) upper forested elevations.
Similar Species: Lecanora hypopta, Pycnora elachista, and Catinaria atropurpurea may appear similar macroscopically, but are readily distinguished on microscopic characters. Buellia schaereri has smaller spores and characteristically grows on rain-sheltered twigs. Buellia cf. punctata “thick crust” has a thick bluish grey crust, narrower apothecia, and a higher hymenium.
Specimens: Björk 10769, 12881; Goward 94-909.
Local Status: Very common.
Buellia schaereri De Not.
Thallus pale grey, thin, continuous, sometimes with a few lumps; apothecia single or clustered, matte jet black, 0.2-0.3 (‑0.5) mm wide, the rim thin and receding or disappearing, the disc flat to low-convex; hymenium 30-60 µ high, lacking oil droplets; upper hymenium medium brown; hypothecium medium to dark brown; spores medium greyish brown, rather thin-walled (scarcely any space visible between the wall surfaces), with 1 crosswall, the outer wall not or scarcely constricted at the crosswall, 6-10 × 2.5-4 µ.
Reactions: All spot tests negative.
Contents: No known lichen substances.
Habitat: On bark of rain-sheltered Picea and Acer twigs and branches. Lower elevations.
Similar Species: No other local Buellia has such small, thin-walled spores. Some parasitic fungi have similar spores, but should have glossy apothecia with thicker rims.
Specimens: Björk 12213, 12237.
Local Status: Uncommon.
Buellia subalpina Björk & Goward ined.
Thallus creamy white, areolate, thin; apothecia jet black, solitary, with a thin, receding rim, not or scarcely lifting at the margins; hymenium lacking oil droplets; spores with 8-18 cells per side, 22-35 × 10-14 µ.
Reactions: K+ yellow.
Contents: Atranorin and unknown xanthones.
Habitat: On smooth bark of conifer trunks. Upper forested elevations.
Similar Species: Buellia penichra is difficult to distinguish without TLC, but the spore size and number of spore cells are diagnostic.
Specimens: Goward s.n. (Silvertip Falls), hb. Goward.
Local Status: Occasional.
Notes: Also known from other regions of southern inland BC, south to Idaho and eastern Washington.
Buellia turgidopunctata Björk ined.
Thallus areolate or verruculose, or immersed, medium brown or olive-brown; apothecia 0.25-0.45 mm wide, jet-black, matte with a thin, receding rim, the disc becoming high-convex; hymenium lacking oil droplets; hypothecium medium to dark brown; spores 8 per ascus, 1-septate, peanut-shell shaped, strongly constricted at the septum, medium grey-brown, thin-walled.
Reactions: Spot tests all negative.
Contents: Unknown.
Habitat: On conifer twigs along shores of rivers. Lower elevations.
Similar Species: In Buellia punctata the apothecial rim is more persistent and the spores are narrower in outline and scarcely constricted at the septum.
Specimens: Björk 12359.
Local Status: Uncommon.
Notes: Known only from inland BC, though some reports of Buellia turgidula from epiphytic habitats elsewhere may be attributable this species.