Culbersonia nubila (Moberg) Essl.

Data Set Maintenance: Data set compiled (from Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora). Data set author(s): Bungartz F. (02-05-21) @EXCL@ Esslinger T. Data set to be published after submission; February 2002.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Currently accepted name Culbersonia nubila (Moberg) Essl. Culbersonia. Synonyms: Culbersonia americana Essl.; Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Basionym: Pyxine nubila Moberg. Type: Culbersonia nubila (Moberg) Essl.

Biogeography: Mediterranean and subtropical; subalpine and alpine (in Arizona above 2900 m). Continent: Africa, Australasia, Northern America, and Southern America. Checklist records: Sonoran Desert (known only from Mount Baldy Wilderness Area, Arizona, USA) and United States and Canada (continental).

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; episubstratic; growing sun-exposed or partially shaded; under conditions which are dry or moist; substrate non-calciferous (in the Sonoran region).

Thallus: Foliose, subdivided into main parts, lobed; lobes horizontal; rounded at the front; irregularly concave or plane; imbricate (lobes somewhat overlapping); separate thallus parts 1-3 mm wide; .12-.18 mm thick. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Up to 4 cm in diameter; apex rounded. Thallus Outline: Irregular or orbicular; margin up-turned. Upper Surface: Grey, grey-blue, or grey-green (distinctly green when wet), mostly smooth or rough, pulverulaceous (only at the central, older parts of the thallus); pruinose; pruina abundant; whitish; continuous; not pseudocyphellate; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; sorediate; soralia pale blue (bluish gray), central (on older parts of the thallus), irregular erose or punctiform (rounded, 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter), soredia coarse (25-50 µm); not blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Present, white, grey (darkened in older, necrotic parts) in the centre, white (a conspicious zone with the same bluish pigment as on the upper surface) along the margin, loosely attached (but appressed) attached; attached by holdfasts (true rhizines); rhizinate; rhizines central or peripheral (unevenly distributed), moderately abundant (sparse to locally abundant, unevenly distributed), grey, white, or pale grey (concolorous with the surface), branched, sparsely furcate; not sorediate; not tomentose.

Upper Cortex: Present; outer cortical layer distinctly paraplectenchymatous; inner cortical layer prosoplectenchymatous (integrating with the medulla). Medulla: White. Lower Cortex: Present; 12-35 µm thick.

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form (not seen).

Conidiomata: Present; sparse.

Conidia: Slightly fusiform or cylindrical; 5-6.5 µm long; 1 µm wide.

Secondary Metabolites: Not detected (none detected).

Spot Tests: Present reactions. Upper surface: K + red (rose-violet (not red) in bluish areas of the upper and lower surface, N+ fading red), C –, KC –, PD – cortex: KC + bright yellow (citrine, lemon) (rose-violet (not red) in bluish areas of the upper and lower surface, N+ fading red), –, PD – medulla: K – C –, KC –, PD – lower surface: K – soredia: K – KC –.

UV-Fluorescence: Upper thallus surface – (negative).

(report generated 13.Nov.2007)