Blastenia-ferruginea_5

Description:

Blastenia ferruginea (Huds.) A. Massal., syn.; Caloplaca ferruginea (Huds.) Th. Fr., (+ about 40 other names according to IF)EN: no name found, DE: no name foundFamily: Teloschistaceae Slo.: no name foundDat.: May 4. 2019Lat.: 45.07642 Long.: 14.43666Code: Bot_1191/2019_DSC5217 Habitat: Sub-Mediterranean macchia; calcareous, skeletal ground, slightly inclined hill slope, west aspect; dry, sunny place; average precipitations ~ 1.000 mm/year, average temperature 13-14 deg C, elevations 65 m (215 feet), Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region.Substratum: small (diameter of less than 8 mm), dead but also alive twigs of Phillyrea latifolia.Place: West island Krk, west of village Brzac, along the trail to the sea shore, Kvarner archipelago, Rijeka region, Croatia EC. Comment: Cosmopolitan species Blastenia ferruginea is tiny but beautifully colored when wet (as many other members of Caloplaca genus). The species is traditionally known under its name Caloplaca ferruginea, but according to Index Fungorum its current name is Blastenia ferruginea. At first I thought the find belongs to genus Ramboldia (eventually Ramboldia russula), but spores are typically polarilocular, which is characteristic for genus Caloplaca and allied. The lichen was found on the branches of the same bush as Teloschistes chrysophthalmus (L.) Th. Fr. Blastenia ferruginea seems to be a rare species. Smith et al. (2009) (Ref.:1) states that it is scarce and decreasing and has now (2009) probably disappeared from Central Europe. It is not yet listed in the Boletus Informaticus and Mycotheca of the Forestry institute of Slovenia although some records for my country are listed in Ref.6.Spores polarilocular, smooth. Dimensions: (11,2) 11,6 - 15,4 (15,8) (6,6) 6,9 - 10,1 (10,7) m Q = (1,3) 1,4 - 1,85 (1,9); N = 25; Me = 13,8 8,7 m; Qe = 1,6. Isthmus (connection between both locules) thickness: (3,2) 3,3 - 6,6 (8) m; N = 23; Me = 5,3. Asci dimensions approximately 56 x 13.5 m.Ref.:(1) C.W.Smith, et all, The lichens of Great Britain and Ireland, The British Lichen Society,(2009), p 261.(2) V. Wirth, Die Flechten Baden-Wrttembergs, Teil.1., Ulmer (1995), p 212. (3) I.M. Brodo, S.D. Sharnoff, S.Sharnoff, Lichens of North America, Yale Uni. Press (2001), p 195. (4) lichenportal.org/cnalh/taxa/index.php?taxon=135488&cl... (accessed Nov. 21. 2019)(5) www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_C/Caloplaca... (accessed Nov. 21. 2019) (6) members.chello.at/johannes.pruegger/uni/slovenia/ (accessed Nov. 23. 2019)