Magnusson, AH. 1939. Studies on Species of Lecanora, Mainly the Aspicilia gibbosa Group. Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl. 17: 34-35.
Thallus several cm large, brownish gray to plumbeous gray, sometimes +/- olive, C.U.C. 233, 427, 434, in most specimens 0.3-0.4 mm thick, distinctly radiating towards the circumference with 0.3-0.5 mm broad, 2-3 mm long, convex, contiguous lobes, +/- separated by cracks, sometimes without distinct lobes, towards the centre areolate or verrucose-areolate, KOH-. —Cortex 30-50 µ thick, +/- transparent, upper 6-11 µ olive-brown, amorphous stratum indistinct or about 8 µ, continuous. Cells +/- distinct, 3.5 - 4.5 µ, globular, moderately thin-walled, in upper part of the cortex in distinct perpendicular rows (K+). Gonidia 7-10 µ, stratum about 50 µ, surface even, lower part like the medulla opaque from granules, dissolving in HCl. Medulla mainly hyphose with 4-5 µ thick hyphae, somewhat thick-walled with +/- numerous oil drops, much air between the hyphae, K-, I- [according to ZAHLBR. >>medulla K+ yellowish, I+ dilute violet>>].
Apothecia numerous, De 100-60 or less, solitary in the 0.5-1.2 mm broad verrucae or areolae, prominent or sessile, disc (0.3)0.5-0.8(1) mm, plane, black, impressed, surrounded by the obtuse somewhat prominent margin of the verruca. --Apothecia 170-200 µ deep. Exciple indistinct in water, towards the surface about 30 µ, pale, I+ pale blue, or 6-8 µ laterally I+ dark blue. Hypothecium 35-50 µ, cloudy, I+ pale-blue, confluent with the base of the exciple. Hymenium 100-110 µ high (ZAHLBR. 150-160 µ); I+ bluish-green to reddish-brown; upper 10-25 µ +/- dark brown. Paraphyses non-guttulate, +/- thin, 1.5 µ at the base, K+ rarely branched, submoniliform, apices firmly coherent, cells partly globose, 2-2.5 µ, partly +/- ellipsoid, 3-4.5 X 2 µ. Asci about 85 X 17 u, clavate. Spores 8, 14-17(26) X 8-9(10) µ +/- ripe, K+ the same size.
One pycnide 300 µ broad, 200 µ deep, composed, walls pale. Conidia 25-35(42) X0.7 µ., straight or slightly bent.
Habitat. On siliceous rocks.
Distribtuion. Siberia Pitlekai E. ALMQUIST 1878 (R.); Insula Taymyr >>Portus Actiniae>> 1878 E. ALMQUIST (R.) called L. mazarina by MALME.—Novaya Zemlya. Mashigin: Blomster Bay, called L. plicigera by ZAHLBR.; Fram Bay (after which ZAHLBR. apparently has made his description). Matotchkin Shar: Serebryanka (figured loc. cit.), another specimen named L. gyrodes and one L. Lyngei by ZAHLBR., all three very typical, all collected 1921 by LYNGE (O.).—Sweden. Torne lappmark: Abisko 1904 VRANG (in hb.) a very small specimen, uncertain.—Lule lappmark: Njungis, 1871 HELLBOM (Gbg.), on stone by the torrent Tarrajokk (see below).—Greenland. South East part, Kangerdlugsuak, Skardet 1932 SCHOLANDER (O.).
A. sublapponica seems to be widely spread, probably circumpolar lichen and is easily recognized by its characteristically lobate, +/- olivaceous plumbeous-gray or brownish thallus and by its cortex with more distinctly perpendicularly [sic] hyphae than in any species of this group. There is, as ZAHLBRUCKNER says, a resemblance in appearance with L. gyrodes, and they also have a similar structure of the cortex in the perpendicular hyphae, but they are at once separated by the much larger spores in L. gyrodes. There is very little resemblance with L. Lyngei [=candida] but many differing characters.
It is liable to some variation: the thallus may be more green (see-green C.U.C. 390) as in the specimen from Taimyr, or dark, +/- brownish as in the specimens from N. Zemlya, or plumbeous as in the specimen from Njungis. The spores are in one of the Taimyr specimens 24-26 X 12-15 µ and the hymenium 120-160 µ but in the other specimen of normal height and the spores of normal size. I have failed to state the high hymenium, 150-160 µ, in specimens from N. Zemlya. The paraphyses ought to be (acc. to ZAHLBR.) >>simple, eseptate>>, but the apices of the paraphyses in specimens from N. Zemlya are 3.5-4 µ, frequently globose, lower cells oblong. The specimen from Tarrajokk, Sweden, is very similar in appearance but has only 14-17 µ long conidia and a transparent medulla and ought perhaps after the shorter conidia to be separated from the type. But I look upon it for the present as an individual variation because other, very important characters agree.