Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2007. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3.
Life habit: lichenized Thallus: crustose, elongate lobed, margin abrupt at edge, with elongated lobes, 1-4 mm long, 0.4-0.8 mm wide; prothallus: absent surface: orange, smooth, with phyllidia cortex: cellular, 14-60 µm thick, with granules insoluble in K; medulla dense, with granules dissolving in K Apothecia: rare, adnate, 0.3-0.5 mm, lecanorine disc: orange, flat, epruinose margin: persistent, slightly raised; thalline margin present, concolorous with thallus; proper margin visible, concolorous with disc parathecium: consisting of radiating hyphae; exciple below hypothecium amorphous epihymenium: golden, K+ red, H-, 10%N-, cN-, C- hymenium: hyaline, 70-80 µm tall paraphyses: 2-3 tip cells slightly swollen, not branched; subhymenium hyaline asci: cylindrical, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 2 locules, ellipsoid, 12.514 x 5.5-7 µm, isthmus 4-5.5 µm, spore end wall thin Pycnidia: present, totally immersed, ostiole orange Spot tests: apothecial margin K+ red, H-, 10% N-, cN-, C-; thallus K+ red, H-, 10%N-, cN-, C-; medulla IKI- Secondary metabolites: unidentified anthraquinones. Substrate and ecology: on non-calcareous rocks World distribution: southwestern North America Sonoran distribution: Baja California Sur and western Chihuahua. Notes: Caloplaca texana is characterized mainly by the abundant phyllidia in the central portions and the lighter pigmented marginal lobe tips. The lobes are fairly short with irregular branching with broadening tips. The branching pattern of the lobes in C. impolita and C. saxicola is more dichotomous. In the general appearance C. texana is similar to C. appressa but that has no phyllidia and has more regular branching.