Lecidea hassei

Lecidea hassei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecideales
Family: Lecideaceae
Genus: Lecidea
Species:
L. hassei
Binomial name
Lecidea hassei
Zahlbr. (1912)

Lecidea hassei (Hasse's lecidea lichen) is an endolithic lichen that appears as tiny black, gray rimmed, plate-like or crinkled discs between crystals of rock in California.[1] The main body grows inside solid rock (endolithic), and the crinkled discs above the rock surface are the sexual reproduction structures.[1] It is endemic to California, where it only grows in the lower montane belt, including in deserts and chaparral.[1][2] It occurs in Joshua Tree National Park.[3] The sexual reproduction structures (apothecia) are black, thinly rimmed (70–100 μm ) with unpigmented fungal tissue surrounding black discs in the middle, and up to 2.2 mm in diameter.[1] They rise out of the rock in a flat to convex disc with a constricted base,[1] giving the appearance of tiny raised plates. It grows in open areas on granite, schist, and other acidic rock.[1] It resembles Lecidea laboriosa but produces schizopeltic acid as a metabolite, instead of 4-O-demethyl planaic acid.[1] The species epithet honors H.E. Hasse, who wrote the 1913 "Lichen Flora of Southern California".[1] Lichen spot tests are negative on both the cortex and medulla (K−, C−, KC−, P−).

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference LFGSDR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ The Lichen Flora of Joshua Tree National Park An Annotated Checklist, Kerry Knudsen, Mitzi Harding, Josh Hoines, National Park Service, [1]
  3. ^ Lichens, Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service