Candelariella
Crustose lichens containing a trebouxioid alga; thallus smooth, verruculose, granular, coralloid, sorediate, squamulose, placodioid, immersed, or parasitic on other lichens, grey or yellow; apothecia lemon-yellow, with an algal rim (in most species), formed of cylindric hyphae, or, more often, round cells; hymenium formed of gel-embedded, mostly straight and unbranched paraphyses that are swollen at the tip, around which are abundant pigment crystals; hypothecium colourless; asci thickened at the tip in a tholus that reacts dark blue in IKI in its lower half, this dark blue dome penetrated by a paler blue axial masse; spores colourless, 8 to about 50 per ascus, simple or transverse-septate, elliptic, oblong, tear-drop shaped, biguttulate, or bacilliform.
Note: Only thallus size distinguishes Candelariella from Candelaria. Species currently placed in the former will eventually need to be recombined under the latter.
References: Westberg 2007a, b.
| 1a. | Thallus granular-sorediate and occasionally with squamules 0.1-0.15 mm long; apothecia unknown …Candelariella sp. 1 |
| 1b. | Thallus lacking soredia, areolate, corticate-granular, or not apparent; apothecia ever-present …2 |
| 2a. | Spores 8 per ascus, 12-16 × 4-5 µ; usually on rock, occasional on wood or bark …Candelariella aurella |
| 2b. | Spores mostly 12 or more per ascus, up to 12 µ long; commonly epiphytic …3 |
| 3a. | Apothecia 0.2-0.4 mm wide; thallus of small, flattened areoles; spores 7-12 × 4-5 µ; to be sought on conifer twigs in dry forests …[Candelariella lutella (Vainio) Räsänen] |
| 3b. | Apothecia 0.3-0.6 mm wide; thallus of convex areoles or granules; spores 8-12 × 2.5-5.5 µ; common and widespread …Candelariella vitellina |
Candelariella aurella (Hoffm.) Zahlbr.
Thallus areolate, bright yellow, sometimes with few or no areoles produced, hypothallus grey, but not usually apparent; apothecia bright yellow, 0.25-0.6 mm wide, with a thin, slowly receding algal rim coloured like the disc or the disc a bit more orangish; hymenium 60-80 µ high, topped in abundant orangish crystals; spores 8 per ascus, 12-17 × 4-5 µ, simple or with a single thin septum.
Reactions: K-, or the disc K+ slow orange-red; C-, PD-.
Contents: Calycin, pulvinic acid, pulvinic dilactone and vulpinic acid.
Habitat: Most often on rock, but occasionally on nutrient-rich bark or wood. Lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: Candelariella vitellina is usually readily distinguished by spore size and number per ascus; it is much more common as an epiphyte than C. aurella.
Specimens: Björk 15161.
Local Status: Common as a saxicole, rare as an epiphyte.
Candelariella vitellina (Hoffm) Müll. Arg.
Thallus of bright yellow areoles, these usually abundant, but occasionally apothecia are produced without areoles nearby; apothecia bright yellow, with a prominent, persistent rim; hymenium 55-75 µ high, topped in orangish crystals; spores 12-24 per ascus, 8-12 × 3.5-5 µ, simple or with a single thin septum.
Reactions: Apothecial disc sometimes K+ slow orange-red.
Contents: Calycin, pulvinic acid, pulvinic dilactone and vulpinic acid.
Habitat: On nutrient-rich wood or bark, especially decaying bark of broadleaf shrubs, less often on conifer branches, and then usually only in Populus dripzones, also on rocks. Lower to middle elevations (as an epiphyte).
Similar Species: See notes under C. aurella.
Specimens: Björk 11650, 13835.
Local Status: Common.
Candelariella sp. 1 sensu Goward, unpublished
Thallus mostly entirely sorediate, but usually a few minute green-yellow squamules (0.1-0.2 mm wide and long) present, these bearing lemon-yellow, granular soredia at their tips; soredia 30-50 µ wide; apothecia uncommon, 0.1-0.3 mm wide, lemon-yellow, with a prominent and persistent orangish yellow algal rim and a flat or low-convex, orange disc; hymenium about 45 µ high; paraphyses scarcely swollen, 2-2.5 µ wide at the tips; spores 16 per ascus, most 1-celled, 9-13 × 4-7 µ.
Reactions: All spot tests negative.
Contents: Unknown, but doubtless with pulvinic acid or its derivatives.
Habitat: On old bark surfaces, especially in dripzones, or on decaying bark, or on Populus tremuloides. Lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: Candelariella efflorescens differs in having areoles in place of squamules. Candelaria concolor is very similar, but has larger non-greenish squamules, a taller hymenium and somewhat smaller spores.
Specimens: Björk 13213; Goward 95-01.
Local Status: Uncommon.
Notes: Known only from inland BC.