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Data Set Maintenance: Data set compiled (from Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora Vol. 1). Data set author(s): Bungartz F. (02-02-22). Data set to be published after submission; February 2002.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Currently accepted name Physcia tenellula Moberg. Physcia. Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Basionym: Physcia tenellula Moberg. Type: Physcia tenellula Moberg.

Biogeography: Coastal. Continent: Northern America. Checklist records: Mexico, Sonoran Desert, and United States and Canada (continental).

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; corticolous or saxicolous; episubstratic; growing sun-exposed or partially shaded; under conditions which are dry or moist.

Thallus: Foliose, subdivided into main parts, lobed; lobes widening towards the apex (because of terminal soralia); separate thallus parts.5-1 mm wide. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Up to 1 cm in diameter. Thallus Outline: Irregular or rarely orbicular; soon disappearing. Upper Surface: Grey or brown (not brown but brownish), matt; immaculate; epruinose; eciliate; hairy; not isidate; sorediate; soralia peripheral, terminal, labriform (widening the lobe tip, sometimes extending accross whole lobe), prominent; not blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Present, white or pale brown, loosely attached attached; attached by holdfasts (true rhizines); rhizinate; rhizines sparse, brown (brownish, not brown) or white, without projections, not branched or branched (rhizines simple to sparsely branched), sparsely furcate; not sorediate; not tomentose.

Upper Cortex: Present; outer cortical layer paraplectenchymatous; inner cortical layer prosoplectenchymatous. Medulla: White. Lower Cortex: Present.

Reproduction Strategy: With sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Apothecioid, orbicular, soon sessile or substipitate, sparse. Margin: Lecanorine, persistent, distinct; not sorediate; not isidiate; not ciliate; not hirsute. Disk: Plane. Epithecium: With epithecium (simple or forked); apical cells subulate (clavate with dark brown cap), pale brown. Hymenium: White; not inspers. Interascal Hyphae: Scarcely branched (paraphyses single or forked above). Subhymenium: White. Hypothecium: White.

Ascospores: Pachysporaria-type, c. 8 per ascus, ellipsoid, (15)-16.5-21-(22.5) µm long, (7.5)-8-10.5-(12) µm wide; septa present; transversally septate; 1-transversally septate; wall thickened at the septum, becoming pigmented, dark brown (at maturity) or middle brown.

Conidia: Bacilliform (not bacilliform: subcylindrical); 4-6 µm long; 1 µm wide.

Secondary Metabolites: Present; only in the upper part of the cortex, atranorin.

Spot Tests: Present reactions. Upper surface: K + deep yellow, C –, KC –, PD + yellow; cortex: KC + deep yellow, –, PD + yellow; medulla: K – C –, KC –, PD – soredia: K – KC –.

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