Hyperphyscia syncolla (Tuck. ex Nyl.) Kalb

Data Set Maintenance: Data set compiled (from Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora). Data set author(s): Bungartz F. (02-04-26). Data set to be published after submission; February 2002.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Currently accepted name Hyperphyscia syncolla (Nyl.) Kalb. Hyperphyscia. Synonyms: Physciopsis syncolla (Nyl.) Poelt; Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Basionym: Physcia syncolla Tuck ex Nyl., Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 7: 441 (1863). Type: Hyperphyscia syncolla (Nyl.) Kalb.

Biogeography: Subtropical; colline and submontane. Continent: Northern America. Checklist records: Mexico and Sonoran Desert.

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; lignicolous or corticolous (nutrient rich); episubstratic; growing under conditions which are dry or moist (often riparian).

Thallus: Crustose or foliose (to subfoliose; lobes very tightly attached), subdivided into main parts, squamulose, lobed (to subfoliose; lobes very tightly attached); lobes horizontal or sometimes ascending (at the tips); plane; separate thallus parts narrow; .3-1-(2) mm wide. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Very small; up to 2 cm in diameter. Thallus Outline: Rarely irregular or orbicular; margin darkened the thallus centre. Upper Surface: Grey, brown, dark brown, or grey-brown, matt; epruinose or rarely pruinose; pruina scarce; whitish; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; not sorediate; not blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Black, grey, dark brown, or pale grey, black or dark brown in the centre, grey, brown, or pale brown along the margin, firmly attached attached; attached by holdfasts (with true rhizines or whithout any rhizines); not rhizinate or rhizinate; rhizines not branched.

Upper Cortex: Present; outer cortical layer paraplectenchymatous (cells with lumina of 3-7 µm in diameter); inner cortical layer prosoplectenchymatous. Medulla: White. Lower Cortex: Absent or present (often rudimentary (integrating with the substrate)).

Reproduction Strategy: With sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Orbicular, forming all across the thallus surface, soon sessile, moderately abundant or abundant, up to 2 mm in diam.. Margin: Crenulate, smooth, persistent, distinct. Disk: Plane; black or brown; epruinose. Epithecium: Apical cells pale brown. Hymenium: White.

Asci: Dehiscence lecanoralean (Lecanora-type).

Ascospores: Pachysporaria-type, c. 8 per ascus, spores 8 per ascus, ellipsoid, 15-21 µm long, 7-11 µm wide; septa present; transversally septate; lumina of equal size; wall apically thickened, subapically thickened, thickened at the septum, becoming pigmented, dark brown (at maturity) or middle brown.

Conidiomata: Present (common); strongly abundant.

Conidia: Fusiform (not fusiform but filiform); 15-20 µm long; .5-1 µm wide.

Secondary Metabolites: Not detected (none detected).

Spot Tests: Absent reactions.

(report generated 13.Nov.2007)