Ophioparma
A genus of crust lichens containing a trebouxioid alga; thallus thick, cracked-areolate or formed of corticate granules, creamy yellowish; apothecia with a non-algal rim that may recede with maturity, often also with a ring of thalline tissue ascending up the sides; disc and rim deep blood-red; hymenium formed of thin, densely branched and anastomosing hyphae embedded in gel, and densely inspersed with crystals and red-orange pigment, at least in the upper half, the crystals and pigment dissolving in K into a deep blue solution that rapidly turns magenta; hypothecium more or less colourless; asci narrowly clavate, with a modestly thickened, IKI+ blue apical dome without an ocular chamber or any obvious internal structure; spores colourless, 8 per ascus, fusiform to acicular, with 1-9 transverse septae, the septae very thin and difficult to observe in water mount or K.
References: Kalb et al. 2004.
Ophioparma rubricosa (Müll. Arg.) S. Ekman
Thallus yellowish cream due to the presence of usnic acid, of corticate granules that may be so small as to suggest soredia, and are often constricted at the base and easily breaking off, thus functioning as isidia; apothecia common when the crust is less “isidioid”, but usually absent or scarce and poorly developed; rim and disc dark red; hymenium heavily inspersed with deep orange-red granules, K+ granules dissolving and at first brilliant dark blue, quickly changing to magenta as the solution bleeds away; spores fusiform-acicular or bacilliform, with 1-3 septa.
Reactions: KC+ deep yellow.
Contents: Usnic and divaricatic acids in the thallus, and the anthraquinone haemoventosin in the apothecia.
Habitat: On hard-weathered wood in well lit sites, rarely on bark, lower to middle elevations.
Similar Species: No other species in our area produces a large patch of corticate granules with the usnic acid creamy yellow colour. This species is especially easy to recognize when the deep red apothecia are produced.
Specimens: Björk 10003; Goward 84-825.
Local Status: Common.