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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 stellaris (L.) Nyl. Physcia. Physciaceae Zahlbr. (1898); Lecanorineae; Lecanorales.

Type Information: Basionym: Lichen stellaris L. Type: Physcia stellaris (L.) Nyl.

Biogeography: Holarctic, arctic, subarctic, and boreal (and temperate); colline, submontane, montane, and upper montane. Continent: Australasia and Northern America. Checklist records: Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, Sonoran Desert, and United States and Canada (continental).

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

Thallus: Foliose, subdivided into main parts, lobed; separate thallus parts.5-1 mm wide. Thallus Size and Differentiation: Up to 4 cm in diameter; apex truncate. Thallus Outline: Sometimes irregular or orbicular; margin brighter than disk the thallus centre; soon disappearing. Upper Surface: Pale grey, glossy (shiny); usually immaculate; usually epruinose; eciliate; without hairs; not isidate; not sorediate; not blastidiate; not schizidiate; not lobulate. Lower Surface: Present, white or pale brown, dark grey along the margin, loosely attached attached; attached by holdfasts (true rhizines); rhizinate; rhizines sparse, pale grey 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 material, but elswhere, not common) or with sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Apothecioid, orbicular, soon sessile or substipitate, abundant, up to 1.5 mm in diam.. Margin: Lecanorine, smooth, persistent, distinct or prominent; not sorediate; not isidiate; not ciliate; not hirsute. Disk: Plane; often pruinose, pruina white. 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 and Pachysporaria-type, c. 8 per ascus, ellipsoid, (14)-17.5-22.5-(28) µm long, (6.5)-8-10-(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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