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Data Set Maintenance: Data set authentic and standard item. Data set author(s): Esslinger T. Data set not to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Physconia. Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898).

Taxonomic Literature: Moberg, R., Symb. Bot. Upsal. 22(1): 1-108 (1977). Poelt, J., Nova Hedwigia 12: 107-135 (1977).

Biogeography: Continent: Asia-Temperate, Europe, Northern America, and Southern America. Checklist records: Sonoran Desert and United States and Canada (continental).

Ecology: Bryophytic (most commonly over mosses, Selaginella, and detritus, over soil or rock); substrate non-calciferous or calciferous.

Thallus: Foliose, lobed; lobes linear; rounded at the front; concave; separate thallus parts 1-3 mm wide. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Up to 12 cm in diameter; apex curved upwards. Thallus Outline: Margin crenate. Upper Surface: Grey, brown (pale to dark), or grey-brown; pruinose; pruina scarce or abundant; continuous or patchy; without hairs; not isidate; not sorediate; not lobulate or lobulate (upward growing lobules in older thallus regions). Lower Surface: Black in the centre, brown along the margin; rhizinate; rhizines moderately abundant, black, branched, squarrosely branched.

Upper Cortex: Outer cortical layer paraplectenchymatous. Medulla: Yellow or usually white. Lower Cortex: Present; prosoplectenchymatous, of periclinal hyphae.

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Moderately abundant, up to 6 mm in diam.. Margin: Lobulate (most commonly), smooth.

Secondary Metabolites: Not detected or present; only in the upper part of the cortex or throughout the thallus medulla, secalonic acid a (accessory in the medulla) or variolaric acid (accessory in the cortex).

Spot Tests: Absent or present reactions. Cortex: KC – or + deep yellow (very faint and rare), – or + deep yellow (faint and uncommon); medulla: K usually – or + yellow; KC usually –, + yellow, or + orange.

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