KEY to terricolous lichens - italic

54
immersed. Conidia bacilliform. Photobiont chlorococcoid. - Note: an ephemeral
terricolous species, with optimum on clay soil in rather disturbed habitats.
Ascospores >4 µ broad, ellipsoid, 1(-4)-celled, 4.5-6(7) µ broad
Mycobilimbia hypnorum
Thallus crustose, whitish to pale grey, thin, granulose, K-, C-, KC-, P-. Apothecia
frequent, without a thalline margin, sessile, up to 1.2 mm diam. Surface dark brown to
black, plane. Margin distinct, thin, smooth, concolorous with disk. Epihymenium pale
brown, K-. Hymenium J+ violet. Subhymenium dark reddish brown, with scattered
bluish granules reacting K+ green. Paraphyses simple, slightly thickened above,
adglutinated. Ascospores 1(-4)-celled, hyaline, ellipsoid, 8 per ascus, 10-16(19) x 4.5-
6(7) µ. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Some spores 4-celled. - Note: on mosses, plant
debris, soil, bark and lignum.
55 Ascospores 16 per ascus
Steinia geophana
Thallus crustose, pale grey to dull grey-green, subgelatinous when wet, thick,
continuous, K-, C-, KC-, P-. Medulla UV -. Apothecia frequent, without a thalline
margin, sessile, up to 0.6 mm diam. Surface dark brown, convex. Margin indistinct.
Epihymenium red brown to brown. Hymenium J+ violet. Paraphyses simple, not
apically thickened, adglutinated. Ascospores 1-celled, hyaline, subglobose, thickwalled,
16 per ascus, 5-7 x 5-7 µ. Pycnidia dark, immersed. Conidia ellipsoidal.
Photobiont chlorococcoid. - Note: ephemeral on moist, sometimes slightly calciferous
soil, rotten wood, small pebbles, terricolous Peltigeras and plant debris, often found in
rather disturbed habitats as on earth banks along white roads and on track sides,
certainly overlooked and more common, at least in the Alps.
55 Not as above 56
56 Ascospores more than 32 per ascus
Sarcosagium campestre
Thallus crustose, greenish to blackish brown, gelatinous when wet, thin, continuous,
granulose, with thin transparent hairs, K-, C-, KC-, P-. Apothecia frequent, without a
thalline margin, sessile, slightly constricted, up to 0.5 mm diam. Surface dark reddish
prown, translucent when wet, concave, smooth, K-, C-. Margin distinct, thick,
concolorous with disk, pruinose. Paraphyses simple, distinctly thickened above, free.
Asci cylindrical. Ascospores 1(2)-celled, hyaline, ellipsoid-cylindrical, thin-walled,
more than 32 per ascus, 5-8 x 2-2.3 µ. Photobiont chlorococcoid. - Note: an early
colonizer of more or less calcareous soil, muribund bryophytes, plant debris,
sometimes on decaying wood, mostly in rather disturbed habitats.
56 Ascospores 8 per ascus 57
57 Hypothecium pale to colourless 58
57 Hypothecium dark 60
58 Ascospores >25 µ long
Aphanopsis coenosa
Thallus crustose, greyish green to brownish green, gelatinous when wet, composed of
goniocysts of pseudoparenchymatous hyphae surrounding a few algal cells, thin,
granulose, K-, C-, KC-, P-. Apothecia frequent, without a thalline margin, sessile, up
to 0.5 mm diam. Surface brown to brown-black, convex. Margin indistinct.
Subhymenium pale brown. Paraphyses simple, not apically thickened. Asci
cylindrical. Ascospores hyaline, broadly ellipsoid, thin-walled, 8 per ascus, 25-38 x
13-18 µ. Photobiont chlorococcoid. - Note: on humid, bare, clayey or fine-grained
sandy soil on track sides or ditch margins in woodlands, easy to overlook, but
certainly not common.
58 Ascospores