Tornabea scutellifera (With.) J. R. Laundon

Data Set Maintenance: Data set compiled (from Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora). Data set author(s): Bungartz F. (02-05-31). Data set to be published after submission; February 2002.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Currently accepted name Tornabea scutellifera (With.) J. R. Laundon. Tornabea. Synonyms: Tornabea atlantica
Tornabea ephebea (Ach.) Kurok.; Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Basionym: Lichen scutelliferus With. Type: Tornabea scutellifera (With.) J. R. Laundon.

Biogeography: Mediterranean and subtropical; coastal. Continent: Asia-Temperate, Europe, Northern America, and Southern 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: Fruticose, subdivided into main parts; erect (to spreading); branches terete (terminal branches) or usually applanate (moderately flattened); separate thallus parts up to 3 mm wide. Upper Surface: Grey, grey-brown, pale grey, or brownish red, smooth (to densely tomentose); not pseudocyphellate; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; not sorediate; blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Absent, firmly attached attached.

Upper Cortex: Present; outer cortical layer prosoplectenchymatous; inner cortical layer prosoplectenchymatous. Medulla: White, loose (sometimes with compact hyphal strands); forming several bundles (often rudimentary).

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Orbicular, forming all across the thallus surface, distinctly not emerging, soon sessile, slightly constricted at the base, usually abundant, up to 150 mm in diam.. Margin: Lecanorine, persistent, distinct; without a thin rim between disk and thalline margin; not sorediate; not isidiate; not ciliate; not hirsute. Disk: Plane; black or brown. Hymenium: White.

Asci: Narrowly clavate; dehiscence lecanoralean (Lecanora-type).

Ascospores: Orcularia-type or Physconia-type, c. 8 per ascus, spores 8 per ascus, broadly ellipsoid or ellipsoid, 20-30 µm long, 10-15 µm wide; septa present; transversally septate; wall apically not thickened, subapically not thickened, thickened at the septum (5.3-77.7 µm wide), becoming pigmented, dark brown (at maturity), middle brown, or pale brown.

Conidiomata: Present.

Conidiophores: Vobis-type VII. Conidia: Fusiform or bacilliform; 3.5-4.5-(5) µm long; 1 µm wide.

Secondary Metabolites: Not detected.

Spot Tests: Upper surface: K – (negative), C –, KC –, PD – cortex: KC –, –, PD – medulla: K – C –, KC –, PD – lower surface: K – soredia: K – KC –.

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

(report generated 13.Nov.2007)