#Miriquidica

[lichenaday]

Miriquidica deusta

This crustose lichen has a gorgeous areolate (tile-like) thallus made up of shiny, dark brown areoles (tiles) with white edges, sitting on a black hypothallus (fungal hyphae growing under the main thallus, attaching it to the substrate). It has black apothecia which start out immersed, and become more prominent with age. Most European specimens are sterile (meaning they don't have apothecia) which resulted in M. deusta being miscategorized and overlooked for a long time. From what we can tell now, it grows on base-rich, exposed rock, and has a wide but disjunct range.

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[lichenaday]

Miriquidica nigroleprosa

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[lichenaday]

Miriquidica atrofulva 

I love it when I am reading a description of a lichen and looking at the pictures and stuff just like, isn't matching up, and I end up more confused than when I started. So yeah, if you ever need to ID M. atrofulva, maybe do so with caution . . . This crustose lichen grows on metal-rich rock at high elevations, and while uncommon, is thought to be widespread. It has a continuous black prothallus topped with scattered or sometimes crowded red- or yellow-brown, convex areoles. It has crater-like or protruding soralia which produce blue-gray or blackish soredia. It only rarely has apothecia, which are sessile and basally constricted, with glossy black disks and thin margins. M. atrofulva has a chlorococcoid photobiont.

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[lichenaday]

Lecidea fuscoatra

When looking at a lichen that looks just like a million other lichens to the naked eye, how are you supposed to tell them apart? Spot testing! Spot testing involves using chemicals dropped onto sections of the thallus and observing any color changing reaction. The three diluted chemical solutions most commonly used contain potassium hydroxide (K-test), calcium hypochlorite/bleach (C-test), and para-phenylenediamine (P-test). You can also do a KC test with a drop of K solution followed by a drop of C. Here’s what L. fuscoatra looks like following C, K, and KC spot tests: 

Pretty distinctive color change, right? Well that C positive reaction, K negative reaction, and KC positive reaction is indicative of the species, and helps to discern it from look-alikes like  Miriquidica deusta and Immersaria athroocarpa which display no reaction to C or K. Pretty neat, huh? 

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[lichenaday]

Miriquidica leucophaea

So I was looking at this lichen and was like, hmm, what interesting thing can I say about this guy? What can I say that will enlighten and educate the masses? And what won't take me too long? Oh, I know! I will look up the Latin for the scientific name! How hard can that be?

. . .

And just like, nevermind. SO this crustose lichen has a mosaic-like thallus made up of pale brown or gray, shiny, flat or warty sections. It has a dark prothallus surrounding and contrasting the main thallus. It has chestnut brown to black apothecia that vary in roundness and bulginess. Just a whole mix of textures and levels! It grows on exposed acidic rock in upland areas of North America and Europe.

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[lichenaday]

Miriquidica scotopholis

Say that scientific name 5 times fast, huh? M. scotopholis has a tile-like, crustose or squamulose thallus that is yellow to brown in coloration, surrounded in a dense black prothallus. It has dark brown or black apothecia scattered on top of or amongst the individual thallus tiles. It grows on siliceous rock and soil in exposed, dry, desert environments in North America. Not gonna lie, the physical description I found is a little dubious compared with a lot of the pictures I found of this lichen. Likely this is due to natural variation, but it makes me wonder. So many of these obscure desert lichens don't get nearly the attention I think the deserve! With a name like Miriquidica scotopholis, the lichen is screaming not to be overlooked!

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[lichenaday]

Miriquidica garovaglii

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