KEY to terricolous lichens - italic

Alps than in Mediterranean Italy, where it often reaches beyond treeline.
6 Thallus without thin transparent hairs 7
7 Squamules with entire margin
Leptogium gelatinosum
Thallus squamulose, homeomerous, bluish grey to dark brown, often paler in the
basal, less exposed parts, shiny, thin, lobulate, wrinkled, loosely attached, K-, C-, KC-
, P-. Squamules 1-2(3) mm wide, elongate, contiguous, ascending, imbricate. Edge
down-turned, entire. Apothecia rare, lecanorine, sessile, strongly constricted. Surface
brown, concave, smooth. Margin distinct, thin. Ascospores many-celled, hyaline,
broadly ellipsoid, submuriform, thin-walled, 8 per ascus. Photobiont cyanobacterial. -
Note: most common on base-rich siliceous substrata, esp. in open grasslands, and
apparently well distinguished from the more calcicolous L. lichenoides.
7 Squamules with deeply dilacerate margin
Leptogium lichenoides
Thallus squamulose, homeomerous, bluish grey to dark brown, often paler in the
basal, less exposed parts, thin, lobulate, wrinkled, loosely attached, K-, C-, KC-, P-.
Squamules 1-2(3) mm wide, elongate, contiguous, ascending, imbricate. Edge
dilacerate. Apothecia rare, lecanorine, sessile, strongly constricted. Surface brown,
concave, smooth. Margin distinct, thin. Ascospores many-celled, hyaline, broadly
ellipsoid, submuriform, thin-walled, 8 per ascus. Photobiont cyanobacterial. - Note:
this is certainly the most common species of Leptogium throughout the country, esp.
in dry grasslands, when epiphytic, it mostly occurs on basal parts of trunks, on
mosses.
8 Pseudocyphellae present
Toninia physaroides
Thallus squamulose, greyish green to greyish brown, pruinose or not, K-, C-, KC-, P-.
Squamules 1-2(3) mm wide, bullate, convex, contiguous, ascending, terete.
Pseudocyphellae punctiform . Medulla K-, C-, KC-, P-. Apothecia frequent, without a
thalline margin, sessile, strongly constricted. Surface black, plane, smooth. Margin
distinct, smooth, concolorous with disk. Epihymenium grey, K+ violet, C-, P-, N+
violet, KC-. Subhymenium pale brown to colourless. Paraphyses anastomosing,
distinctly thickened above, free. Asci clavate. Ascospores hyaline, fusiform, 8 per
ascus, 11.5-18.5 x 3.5-5 µ. Pycnidia dark, immersed. Conidia filiform. Photobiont
chlorococcoid. - Note: most common on soil developing from calciferous sandstone,
often found amongst mosses and associated to cyanobacterial lichens when young,
rare in limestone areas.
8 Pseudocyphellae absent 9
9 Ascospores 1-celled
Toninia tristis ssp. pseudotabacina
Thallus squamulose, chestnut brown to dark brown, shiny, K-, C-, KC-, P-. Squamules
(2)3-6 mm wide, bullate, convex, contiguous, with rounded ends. Undersurface pale.
Medulla K-, C-, KC-, P-. Apothecia frequent, without a thalline margin, sessile,
strongly constricted, up to 2 mm diam. Surface black, plane, smooth. Margin distinct,
smooth, concolorous with disk. Epihymenium bright green, K-, C-, P-, N+ violet, KC-
. Subhymenium brownish. Paraphyses anastomosing, distinctly thickened above, free.
Asci clavate. Ascospores hyaline, ellipsoid, 8 per ascus, 10-15.5 x 4.5-6.5 µ. Pycnidia
dark, immersed. Conidia filiform. Photobiont chlorococcoid. - Note: on soil,
sometimes it reaches the oromediterranean belt.
9 Not as above 10
10 Ascospores 2-celled 11
10 Ascospores 4-celled 13
11 Thallus with punctiform depressions
Toninia tristis ssp. tristis
Thallus squamulose, chestnut brown to dark brown, shiny, K-, C-, KC-, P-. Squamules
(2)3-6 mm wide, bullate, convex, contiguous, with rounded ends. Undersurface pale.
Medulla K-, C-, KC-, P-. Apothecia frequent, without a thalline margin, sessile,
strongly constricted, up to 2 mm diam. Surface black, plane, smooth. Margin distinct,
18