to LIAS


Botanische Staatssammlung München © 1995–2008
Data remain intellectual property of the data set authors.



Physcia caesia (Hoffm.) Fürnr.

Data Set Maintenance: Data set compiled (Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora). Data set author(s): Bungartz F. (020120) @EXCL@ Nash T.H. Data set reviewer(s): Nash T.H.; to be published after submission; February 2002.

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

Type Information: Basionym: Lichen caesius Hoffm. Type: Physcia caesia (Hoffm.) Fürnr.

Biogeography: Northern hemispheric; holarctic, arctic, and boreal (-temperate); submontane, montane, and upper montane. Continent: Asia-Temperate, Europe, and Northern America. Checklist records: Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, Sonoran Desert, and United States and Canada (continental).

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

Thallus: Foliose, subdivided into main parts, lobed; lobes horizontal; not imbricate or imbricate; separate thallus parts up to (3) mm wide. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Small; up to (5) cm in diameter. Thallus Outline: Sometimes irregular or orbicular; soon disappearing. Upper Surface: Grey (to dark grey), matt, smooth; maculate; maculae irregular; epruinose; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; sorediate; soralia grey or pale green, laminal, subperipheral, or peripheral, often capitate, soredia coarse or farinose; not blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Present, dark grey, white, or pale grey; attached by holdfasts; rhizinate; rhizines sometimes black or grey.

Upper Cortex: Present; outer cortical layer paraplectenchymatous; inner cortical layer prosoplectenchymatous or paraplectenchymatous (the lower part gradually forming rounded. isodiametric cells). Medulla: White. Lower Cortex: Present.

Reproduction Strategy: Only known as sterile, asexually reproducing form (in Sonoran Material).

Conidiomata: Absent resp. not observed (not seen in Sonoran material, elsewhere rare).

Secondary Metabolites: Present; only in the upper part of the cortex or throughout the thallus medulla, atranorin (with zeorin and sometimes unidentified triterpenes).

Spot Tests: Present reactions. Upper surface: K + deep yellow, C –, KC –, PD + yellow; cortex: KC + deep yellow, medulla: K + yellow; C –, KC –, PD + red (not red but yellow (atranorin in medulla)); soredia: K + deep yellow; KC –.

(report generated 13.Nov.2007)


In case that additional characters and states are required to be included in this data set, consult the LIAS Instructions to Participants and follow the procedures described there.

LIAS Home