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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 villosula Moberg. Physcia. Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Basionym: Physcia villosula Moberg. Type: Physcia villosula Moberg.

Biogeography: Coastal. Continent: Northern America. Checklist records: Mexico and Sonoran Desert (only known from Baja California and islands along the coast of Baja California).

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenized; corticolous (mostly on trunk and twigs of Fouquieria columnaris); episubstratic; growing sun-exposed or partially shaded; under conditions which are dry or moist (coastal fog).

Thallus: Foliose, subdivided into main parts, lobed; lobes ascending; separate thallus parts short (; up to.5 mm wide. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Up to 1.5 cm in diameter; apex rounded. Thallus Outline: Orbicular; margin darkened the thallus centre; soon disappearing. Upper Surface: White, matt; immaculate; sometimes pruinose; pruina scarce; whitish; eciliate; hairy (short, white to black); not isidate; not sorediate; soralia peripheral; not blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Present, grey, white, or pale brown; attached by holdfasts (true rhizines); rhizinate; rhizines moderately abundant, grey (concolorous or darker than lower surface), brownish 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: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form (not seen in Sonoran specimens) or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Apothecioid, orbicular, substipitate (often short stalked), moderately abundant or abundant, small or large (very variable in size), up to 2 mm in diam.. Margin: Lecanorine, smooth, persistent, distinct or prominent; not sorediate; not isidiate; not ciliate; not hirsute. Disk: Plane; black or dark brown; epruinose. 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: Physcia-type, c. 8 per ascus, ellipsoid, (14)-15-18-(21.5) µm long, (6.5)-7.5-9.5-(11) 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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