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Arthonia ilicina

Arthonia ilicina is a lichen species belonging to the family Arthoniaceae. It's often found in oceanic zones and is characterized by its crust-like thallus.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Arthonia ilicina Taylor
• Synonym: Arthothelium ilicinum (Taylor) P. James
• Family: Arthoniaceae
• Kingdom: Fungi
• Rank: Species

Distribution and Habitat

• Arthonia ilicina has an oceanic distribution.
• It has been identified in Western Australia, where it's considered native.
• It is found in Norway, specifically Hordaland, growing on trunks of deciduous trees like hazel and rowan, in boreonemoral rainforests.
• It has also been observed in Taiwan.
• This lichen is commonly found in old oceanic woodlands, including on holly.

Morphological Characteristics

• The thallus is thin, crust-like, and can be either white or yellowish-cream in color.
• It is often bounded by a dark brown prothallus.
• The apothecia (fruiting bodies) are dark brown to black and irregularly rounded.
• The thallus is more or less immersed in the bark of the host tree.

Additional Details

• The species can be confused with Arthonia radiata if the apothecia are stellate.
• Chemistry: on thallus K+ yellow on section K-
• Hypothecium: pale brown, 26 m tall
• Asci: Baloon shaped

Resources

• Index Fungorum: http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=376560
• Greater Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora (Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2001)
• The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland (Smith, C.W., Aptroot, A., Coppins, B.J., Fletcher, A., Gilbert, O.L., James, P.W. and Wolseley, P.A. (2009))