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Bellemerea: A Genus of Lichens

Bellemerea is a genus of lichens belonging to the family Lecideaceae. Described in 1984, the type species is Bellemerea alpina.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Genus: Bellemerea
• Family: Lecideaceae
• Kingdom: Fungi (inferred)

Several species within the Bellemerea genus are mentioned, including:

• Bellemerea alpina (Sommerf.) Clauzade & Roux
• Bellemerea subsorediza (Lynge) R. Sant.
• Bellemerea cinereorufescens (Ach.) Clauzade & Cl.Roux
• Bellemerea diamarta (Ach.) Boistel (synonym)
• Bellemerea sanguinea

Synonyms for Bellemerea alpina include:

• Aspicilia alpina (Sommerf.) Arnold
• Lecanora alpina Sommerf.
• Lecanora applegatei Herre

Distribution and Habitat

Bellemerea alpina, also known as brown sunken disk lichen, is found in mountainous regions worldwide, including:

• Canadian Rockies
• British Columbia, Canada
• Erciyes Mountain (Kayseri, Turkey)
• China (new species record)
• Cairngorms (rare communities)
• France
• Antarctica
• South Georgia
• Ontario (Bellemerea cinereorufescens)

It grows on rock surfaces.

Morphological Characteristics

Bellemerea alpina is characterized by:

• A white to pale tan color
• A thick, crustose areolate thallus
• Thallus that is conspicuously areolate-cracked, rather thick, 1-5 cm in diameter, orbicular, at times spreading irregularly among other lichens and different thalli often

Common Names

• Bellemerea alpina: Alpine Sunken Disk Lichen, Brown Sunken Disk Lichen
• Bellemerea subsorediza: Bellemerea Lichen
• Bellemerea: Bellemerea Lichen

Further Resources

Additional information can be found in:

• Wolfram|Alpha
• Lichen Flora of the British Columbia
• Louisiana State University Herbarium Lichen Collection
• NBNSYS0000039825
• Handbook of the Lichens of Russia, Vol. 7