Ochrolechia upsaliensis is a species of crustose lichen in the family Ochrolechiaceae. Found in the Northern Hemisphere, it is commonly known as the tundra saucer lichen.[3]
The thallus of Ochrolechia upsaliensis is white to grayish-white, and crustose; the thallus thickens with age. The texture of the thallus surface ranges from smooth to granular. The lichen produces abundant apothecia; these reproductive structures are shallowly saucer-shaped, measuring 0.5–3mm in diameter, with a pale-buff disc. The ascospores typically number 8 per ascus; they are ellipsoid with dimensions of 31–69 by 23–37μm.[6]
Ochrolechia upsaliensis has a Northern Hemisphere distribution, having been reported from Europe, arctic areas of Alaska and Canada, Greenland, and mountainous areas of the United States. It also occurs in mountainous areas of Europe.[6] There, it prefers habitats with calciferous soil and plant debris, and grows optimally above the treeline. In the Alps, where it is widespread, Ochrolechia upsaliensis reaches the Nival zone.[7] It typically overgrows mosses, sedges, grasses, or grows on the ground; less frequently, it has been recorded growing on rock.[6] In Greenland, it is a component of the lichen-rich biological soil crust.[8]
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