U.S.A., Colorado, Boulder, West base of Steamboat Mountain, foothills of Front Range 2 miles northwest of Lyons.
40.2399 -105.28587 +-900m.
1900 meters (6232ft)
On shelving horizontal surfaces of sandstone ledges
Forms with pale greenish thalli are characterisitc of alpine sites, while the rufous cortical color is developed in stable habitats at lower altitues with high insolation. The development of a white edge to the thallus is variable in both habitats. Desert forms occuring exclusively on soil have a pale thallus which becomes heavily pruinose. There are no morphological characters of any value to consistantly separate these forms. Deeply concave squamules with recuved margins are characteristic of the soil forms (cf. the form of L. decipens commonly called L. crenata); Lichenes Exsiccati Distributed by the University of Colorado Museum, Boulder; William A. Weber, Curator|23