Ocellularia fecunda (Vain.) Hale

Ocellularia fecunda (Vainio) Hale

Thelotrema domingense var. fecundum Vainio, 1896:208 [type-collection: Richmond Valley, St. Vincent, Elliott 243 (BM, lectotype; TUR, isotype); Figure 11h].

Ocellularia domingensis var. fecunda (Vainio) Zahlbruckner, 1923:590.

Thallus light greenish or whitish mineral gray, epiphloeodal, smooth and shiny, forming large colonies up to 30 cm broad; apothecia large, strongly emergent, 1.5–1.8 mm in diameter, the cortex soon breaking away and revealing a light yellowish orange medulla, walls heavily carbonized,

columella absent or weakly and irregularly developed; pore gaping, round to irregular and jagged, 0.4–0.8 mm in diameter, the white pruinose disc clearly visible; hymenium 200μ–250μ high; spores 1–4/ascus, 30–40 loculate, 12–20 × 80μ–150μ, rarely turning brown, I+ blue (Figure 11i).

CHEMISTRY.—Hypoprotocetraric acid and in lesser concentration 4–0–demethylnotatic acid along with unidentified pigments.

HABITAT.—Basal area of trees into the upper bole and canopy in the rain forest (300–850 m).

This is one of the few species in the family that can be recognized at sight in the field. The apothecia are very large and the yellow-orange medulla is exposed by rubbing the cortex off. It is the second commonest species in Dominica and forms very extensive colonies. As far as I have determined, the species is restricted to the West Indies and has no close relatives.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—8 (38120), 11 (37811, 37816, 37820, 38003, 38046, 38061), 12 (37902, 37906, 37913, 37920, 37921, 37931), 15 (35155, 35167, 35218), 16a (37658, 37942, 37970, 38050), 16b (37796, 37802, 37810, 37874, 37881, 37954), 16c (37765, 37766, 37774, 37943, 37980), 18a (37725, 37957, 37962, 37986, 38059), 21 (38080, 38081, 38089, 38103, 38106, 38107, 38132, 38137), 22 (37639, 37644, 37828, 37838, 37843, 37844, 37844a, 37845, 37856, 37858, 37960, 38026), 23 (37679), 24a (37740, 37743, 37063, 37064), 25a (37711), 26a (38056).