Physcia stellaris

{{Short description|Species of lichen}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Physcia_stellaris-5.jpg

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| taxon = Physcia stellaris

| authority = (L.) Nyl. (1853)

| synonyms = {{collapsible list|title=Species synonymy

|Anaptychia stellaris (Link) (L.) A. Massal.(1853)

|Borrera stellaris (Link) (L.) Mudd, in Körber. (1860) [1865]

|Dimelaena stellaris (Link) (L.) Norman, Conat. Praem.(1852)

|Geissodea stellaris (Link) (L.) A. St.-Hil.(1805)

|Hagenia stellaris (Link) (L.) De Not.(1846)

|Imbricaria stellaris (Link) (L.) DC. (1805)

|Lichen stellaris (Link) L.(1753)

|Lobaria stellari (Link) (L.) Hoffm. (1884)

|Parmelia stellaris (Link) (L.) Ach.(1803)

|Physcia retrogressa (Link) Stirt.(1876) }}

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Physcia stellaris is a species of lichen. It is pale grey, but darker in the centre, and lacks isidia, lobules, soredia and pruina.It tests positive K+ yellow upper cortex with a 10% potassium hydroxide solution.{{Cite web |last=Nimis |first=P.L |date=2023-04-25 |title=The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 7.0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology |url=https://italic.units.it/italic/index.php?procedure=taxonpage&num=1734 |website=Italic 7.0}} In North America, it is known colloquially as the fringed rosette lichen.

It can grow as an epiphyte. In Greece, it has been reported from the trunk of Platanus trees.

Taxonomy

It was initially described as Lichen stellaris by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753 before receiving its own genus of Physcia in 1856 by William Nylander.{{Cite web |title=Species Fungorum - Species synonymy |url=https://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=400818 |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=www.speciesfungorum.org}}

Description

The thallus of Physcia stellaris can be described as foliose as it has aspects of leaf-like lichen structures. The size and shape of the thallus is irregular and can grow up to 4 cm in diameter.{{Cite journal |last=LaGreca |first=Scott |date=September 2008 |title=A regional lichen flora is completed! |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1639/0007-2745(2008)111[517:arlfic]2.0.co;2 |journal=The Bryologist |volume=111 |issue=3 |pages=519–521 |doi=10.1639/0007-2745(2008)111[517:arlfic]2.0.co;2 |s2cid=86191679 |issn=0007-2745|url-access=subscription }} Lobes are loosely appressed and are on average only 0.5 mm in size. The upper surface is whitish grey, appearing as almost a cream color. It lacks any form of soredia or isidia on the upper surface. {{Cite book |last1=Allen |first1=Jessica L. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1zqdvq6 |title=Urban Lichens |last2=Lendemer |first2=James C. |date=2021-11-23 |publisher=Yale University Press |doi=10.2307/j.ctv1zqdvq6 |isbn=978-0-300-26303-9}} The lower surface is white to brown with simple rhizines. Apothecia are abundant varying in size from 0.5mm-1.5mm and have fruiting bodies shaped like a plate with a ring around them called lecanorine. {{Cite journal |last=Salih |first=Salah Abdulla |date=2022-07-06 |title=New reports of lichens from Mawat and Gapelon districts in northeastern Iraq |journal=Lindbergia |volume=2022 |issue=1 |doi=10.25227/linbg.01160 |issn=0105-0761|doi-access=free }} Ascocarp containing 8 brown, septate ascospores ranging in size from 15-18 μm.{{Cite web |title=Lichens marins |url=http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=569&lang=en |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=www.lichensmaritimes.org}} Is found as a lichen in all forms.{{Cite journal |last=Lendemer |first=James C. |date=April 2016 |title=Key to Lichens of North America: Revised and Expanded Keys to Lichens of North America: Revised and Expanded by Irvin M. Brodo et al., eds. 2016. ISBN 978-0-300-19573-6 Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3119/0035-4902-118.974.243 |journal=Rhodora |volume=118 |issue=974 |pages=243–246 |doi=10.3119/0035-4902-118.974.243 |s2cid=89462208 |issn=0035-4902|url-access=subscription }}

Physcia stellaris can be differentiated from all other Physcia species due to lack of soredia, with exception to P. aipolia. P. aipolia can be differentiated from P. stellaris due to aipolia’s broader lobes and apothecia that tend to be pruinose.{{Cite journal |last=Nearing |first=G. G. |date=1940 |title=Guide to the Lichens of the New York Area—Part 8 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40597341 |journal=Torreya |volume=40 |issue=6 |pages=198–206 |jstor=40597341 |issn=0096-3844}}{{Cite book |last=Bennett |first=James |title=Common Lichens of Wisconsin |year=2017 |location=Madison, Wisconsin |pages=10}}

Distribution and habitat

This species is commonly found lichenized on bark and rock all across the temperate zones of North America as well as parts of Europe.{{Cite book |last=Washburn |first=Stephen |title=The Epiphytic Macrolichens of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, Metropolitan Area |year=2005 |location=Cincinnati |pages=29}} Documented findings of this species range from Georgia to the Canadian Northwest Territories.{{Cite web |title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.124598/Physcia_stellaris |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=explorer.natureserve.org}} The species is quite common on deciduous trees but can also be found less commonly on conifers.

Reproduction

Physcia stellaris shows no evident means of asexual reproduction due to its lack of isidia or soredia.{{Cite web |title=LICHENS TO KNOW – Ohio Plants |url=https://ohioplants.org/lichens-to-know/ |access-date=2023-05-04 |language=en-US}} This species has abundance of apothecia that allow for sexual reproduction.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite book |first1=Irwin M. |last1=Brodo |first2=Sylvia Duran |last2=Sharnoff |first3=Stephen |last3=Sharnoff |title=Lichens of North America |year=2001 |publisher=Yale University Press |page=558 |isbn=978-0300082494}}

{{cite journal |last1=Christiansen| first1=Steen N. |date=2022 |title=Epiphytic lichens from towns and villages in Greece |url=http://jjh.cz/upload/34762.pdf |journal=Parnassiana Archives |volume=10 |pages=31–37 |issn=2241-7842}}

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stellaris

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Lichens described in 1753

Category:Lichens of North America

Category:Lichen species