Upper Surface: K-, not pruinose, paraplectenchymatous
Lower Surface: corticate, pale, prosoplectenchymatous, simple rhizines
Algae: green (trebouxioid)
Reproduction: soredia
Spores: physcioid (thick-walled, not Physconia-type)
Northern temperate.
Common name: Shade or Cryptic Rosette Lichens
Family: Physciaceae
Small, narrow-lobed foliose lichens, typically whitish to grayish-brown.
Usually on bark or wood, occ. on rock, gen. in sheltered situations.
This genus can be hard to distinguish from others, particularly Phaeophyscia.
Phaeophyscia: lower cortex paraplectenchymatous and gen. dark (at least in center when old)
Physconia: pruinose, squarrose rhizines
Heterodermia and Physcia: cortex K+ yellow (atranorin)
Parmeliaceae: shiny at least near growing tips, typically much larger, spores totally different
Physciella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Physciaceae. Circumscribed in 1986, it is distinguished from the similar genera Physcia and Phaeophyscia by its prosoplectenchymatous (comprising long narrow wavy parallel hyphae) lower cortex, the lack of the secondary metabolite atranorin in the upper cortex, and short, ellipsoid conidia.[1]
Physciella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Physciaceae. Circumscribed in 1986, it is distinguished from the similar genera Physcia and Phaeophyscia by its prosoplectenchymatous (comprising long narrow wavy parallel hyphae) lower cortex, the lack of the secondary metabolite atranorin in the upper cortex, and short, ellipsoid conidia.
