Sarea
Unlichenized fungi lacking algae, but sometimes appearing like crust lichens due to whitish, scurfy, surficial material and apothecia that resemble those of some crust lichens; thallus partly or wholly immersed in conifer resin; apothecia with a thin but persistent rim; hymenium formed of more or less straight paraphyses loosely embedded in gel; hypothecium colourless; asci with a modestly thickened tholus IKI+ blue and with a paler axial mass that reaches throughout the height of the tholus; spores colourless, more than 100 per ascus, simple, globose, about 2-3.5 µ wide.
References: Hawksworth & Sherwood 1981.
| 1a. | Apothecia blackish brown; infrequent …Sarea difformis |
| 1b. | Apothecia yellow or orange; rare …Sarea resinae |
Sarea difformis (Fr.) Fr.
Thallus immersed in conifer resin, lacking algae; apothecia blackish brown, 0.5-1 mm, individually scattered or a few clustered, the rim thin and inconspicuous but persistent, the disc low-convex; rim non-algal, formed of narrow, parallel, fanning hyphae; hymenium 65-95 µ high, colourless; upper hymenium dark brown, lacking granules; hypothecium colourless to light brown; paraphyses mostly unbranched, 2-3 µ wide, not much swollen at the tips; asci clavate, IKI+ dark blue on the outer wall with a IKI+ hazy lighter blue gelatinous outer layer; spores more than 100 per ascus, 2-3.5 µ wide.
Reactions: All spot tests negative.
Contents: No known lichen substances.
Habitat: On old resin masses on large conifer trunks, middle to upper forested elevations.
Similar Species: The resin-dwelling habitat is unique in the study area, but Sarea resinae, differing mostly in the light orange-beige apothecia, might be expected on resin masses in the study area.
Specimens: Björk s.n. (14 January, 2006), hb. Björk.
Local Status: Rare.
Sarea resinae (Fr.) Kuntze
Thallus a thin film or not evident, lacking algae; apothecia 0.5-0.8 (‑1.5) mm wide, pale to medium tan-orange or reddish tan, with a thin, receding rim, the disc low-convex; rim interior pale yellowish or colourless, formed of cylindrical hyphae 3-4 µ wide embedded in thick gel; hymenium 80-100 µ high, pale yellowish or colourless; spores 2-3.5 µ wide, more than 100 per ascus.
Reactions: All spot tests negative.
Contents: No known substances.
Habitat: On aged resin masses on conifer trunks. All forested elevations.
Similar Species: An unknown genus with apothecia having minute reddish orange hairs on the rim and abundant yellow oil in the hymenium is known from the study area, it could be easily mistaken for S. resinae.
Local Status: Rare.