Caloplaca sol

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Caloplaca sol
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Teloschistales
Family: Teloschistaceae
Genus: Caloplaca
Species:
C. sol
Binomial name
Caloplaca sol
Orange (2017)
Caloplaca sol
Holotype site: Benllech, Wales [1]

Caloplaca sol is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. [2] It is found on limestone and basic siliceous rocks along the southern and western shores of Great Britain.

Contents

Taxonomy

The lichen was formally described as a new species in 2018 by the lichenologist Alan Orange. The species epithet sol, derived from the Latin word for "sun", was chosen to reflect the rich yellow colour of its often circular thalli , and its preference for growing on dry, sun-exposed rocks. [1]

Description

The lichen features a prominent, crust-like, non- placodioid , orange-yellow body with cracks, and fruiting bodies (apothecia) that are up to about 0.66 millimetres in diameter. Its spores are approximately 11.0 to 13.0 micrometres in length, with a septum (a dividing wall or partition) about 0.4 times the length of the spore. The species is found exclusively near coastal areas in southern and western Britain, with known locations ranging from Dorset and Cornwall up to North Wales. [1]

Similar species

Caloplaca sol, with its well-defined, cracked- areolate , completely epilithic thallus and sessile apothecia the same colour as its thallus, can be easily confused with other species in the field. It is often mistaken for a morph of Flavoplaca marina , which typically has a darker orange colour and more convex areoles. Flavoplaca marina is commonly found in the splash zone of seashores, sometimes extending above the high-water mark on sea-facing slopes. Its areoles are usually thicker and strongly convex near the shore, but those found above the splash zone may resemble C. sol more closely, presenting challenges in distinguishing individual specimens based solely on morphology. [1]

Flavoplaca maritima differs from C. sol in its more convex areoles that tend to become isolated as the thallus ages, and its young apothecia often feature a yellow crenulate thalline margin. Another species, Gyalolechia flavovirescens , has large orange apothecia, which contrast sharply with its yellow epilithic thallus. Xanthocarpia diffusa , typically found on damp or poorly drained surfaces and not in coastal habitats in Great Britain, has a less developed epilithic thallus and ascospores with a much narrower septum. Finally, Athallia vitellinula , as defined by Ulf Arup, is a non-maritime species characterised by a thin, inconspicuous, discontinuous pale yellow thallus, and small apothecia up to 0.44 mm in diameter in British specimens. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Flavoplaca austrocitrina</i> Species of lichen

Flavoplaca austrocitrina is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is widely distributed in Europe, and has also been recorded in South America.

<i>Flavoplaca maritima</i> Species of lichen

Flavoplaca maritima is a species of crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. It is found in costal areas of Northern, Western, and Southern Europe. It mostly occurs on rocks, but has also been recorded growing on wood.

Caloplaca kiewkaensis is a species of bark- and wood-dwelling crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Described as a new species in 2011, this lichen is found in the Far East region of Russia, specifically within Primorsky Krai.

Flavoplaca kantvilasii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2007.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Orange, Alan (2018). "Caloplaca sol (Teloschistaceae), a new coastal lichen from Great Britain". The Lichenologist. 50 (4): 411–424. doi: 10.1017/S0024282918000142 .
  2. "Caloplaca sol Orange". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 22 December 2023.