Caloplaca chlorina

Caloplaca chlorina
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Lecanoromycetes
Order:	Teloschistales
Family:	Teloschistaceae
Genus:	Caloplaca
Species:	C. chlorina
Binomial name
Caloplaca chlorina (Flot.) H.Olivier (1909)
Synonyms [1]
List Zeora cerina a* chlorinaFlot. (1850) Callopisma cerinum f. chlorinum(Flot.) Körb. (1855) Callopisma cerinum var. chlorinum(Flot.) Körb. (1859) Placodium cerinum var. chlorinum(Flot.) Anzi (1860) Caloplaca cerina var. chlorina(Flot.) Müll.Arg. (1862) Caloplaca cerina f. chlorina(Flot.) Müll.Arg. (1862) Lecanora cerina var. chlorina(Flot.) Leight. (1871) Lecanora cerina subsp. chlorina(Flot.) Lamy (1880) Lecanora chlorina(Flot.) Lamy (1880) Caloplaca pyracea var. chlorina(Flot.) Boistel (1903) Lecanora cerina f. chlorina(Flot.) Harm. (1909) Caloplaca cerina subsp. chlorina(Flot.) Sandst. (1912) Caloplaca gilva var. chlorina(Flot.) Mereschk. (1913) Zeora cerina var. chlorina(Flot.) Zahlbr. (1930) Placodium gilvum var. chlorinum(Flot.) Räsänen (1931) Placodium chlorinum(Flot.) Szatala (1960) Lecanora cerina var. cyanopoliaNyl. (1866) Lecanora cerina f. cyanopolia(Nyl.) Leight. (1879) Caloplaca ferruginea f. cyanopolia(Nyl.) Blomb. & Forssell (1880) Lecanora chlorina f. cyanopolia(Nyl.) Cromb. (1894) Caloplaca chlorina var. cyanopolia(Nyl.) H.Olivier (1909) Caloplaca cerina var. cyanopolia(Nyl.) H.Olivier (1909) Caloplaca isidiigeraVězda (1978)

Caloplaca chlorina is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. ^[2] It occurs in Europe, where it grows on damp siliceous rocks. ^[3] This lichen forms dark grey crusts with a bluish tint that break into irregular blocks covered with powdery granules, giving the surface a flour-like appearance. It was first described in 1850 and rarely produces fruiting bodies, but when present they are small with bright yellow to orange centres surrounded by thick grey rims.

Taxonomy

It was originally described as a new species in 1850 by Julius von Flotow. ^[4] Henri Jacques François Olivier transferred it to Caloplaca in 1909. ^[1]

Description

The lichen forms a thin to moderately thick crust that spreads widely over its rock substrate. Its surface is dark grey with a bluish cast and breaks into coarse, irregular polygonal blocks known as areole s. These blocks are dusted with masses of minute powdery propagules—technically called soredia or blastidia —each about 25–50 micrometres (μm) across. Because the soredia originate around the margins of the areoles and then blanket the entire surface, the thallus acquires a granular, flour-like appearance. ^[3]

Fruiting bodies (apothecia) are uncommon and small, rarely exceeding 1.5 mm in diameter. They lie partly submerged among the granules , bordered by a thick, grey rim derived from the thallus itself. The central disc ranges from bright yellow to dull orange and may become slightly domed with age. Inside each disc, unbranched threads of fungal tissue (paraphyses) end in tips that swell to about 5 μm wide. The asci produce eight colourless ascospores, each 10–15 μm long and 5–7 μm wide, divided by a cross-wall (septum) about one-third of the spore's length. In standard chemical spot tests, the thallus turns a faint violet when treated with potassium hydroxide solution (the K-test), whereas the apothecial disc reacts a deeper purple, helping confirm the identify of the species in the field. ^[3]

See also

• List of Caloplaca species

References

1. "GSD Species Synonymy. Current Name: Caloplaca chlorina (Flot.) H. Olivier, Mém. Soc. natn. Sci. nat. Cherbourg 37: 122 (1909)". Species Fungorum . Retrieved 30 March 2025.
2. "Caloplaca chlorina (Flot.) Sandst". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
3. Cannon, P.; Arup, U.; Coppins, B.; Aptroot, A.; Sanderson, N.; Simkin, J.; Yahr, R. (2024). Teloschistales, including Brigantiaea (Brigantiaeaceae), Megalospora (Megalosporaceae) and Amundsenia, Athallia, Blastenia, Calogaya, Caloplaca, Cerothallia, Coppinsiella, Flavoplaca, Gyalolechia, Haloplaca, Huneckia, Kuettlingeria, Leproplaca, Marchantiana, Olegblumea, Polycauliona, Pyrenodesmia, Rufoplaca, Rusavskia, Sanguineodiscus, Scythioria, Solitaria, Squamulea, Teloschistes, Variospora, Xanthocarpia, Xanthomendoza and Xanthoria (Teloschistaceae) (PDF). Revisions of British and Irish Lichens. Vol. 43. pp. 26–27.
4. Flotow, J.V. (1849). Lichenes Florae Silesiae. Übersicht der Arbeiten und Veränderungen der Schlesischen Gesellschaft für Vaterländische Cultur[Lichens of the Flora of Silesia. Overview of the Works and Changes of the Silesian Society for National Culture] (in German). Vol. 27. pp. 98–143 [126].