Magnusson, AH. 1939. Studies on Species of Lecanora, Mainly the Aspicilia gibbosa Group. Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl. 17: 34-35.
Thallus +/- broadly expansive, uniform, pale ochraceous-becoming white, verrucose-areolate, KOH-, hypothallus indistinct, areoles verruciform, cracks broadly separated, upper surface scabrid. Apothecia dense, turned towards the centre, almost covered by thallus, rarely solitary, often (5)10-20 confluent, disc black, concave, or plane, irregularly impressed, surrounded by thin, slightly prominent, separate exciple and margin, +/- obtuse areolae. Hymenium almost tall. Paraphyses moniliform. Spores not properly developed. Pycnidia composite, conidia short.
The specimen seen 4 X 2 cm large, C.U.C. 190, 199, 250, areolae 0.6-1.2 mm broad, 0.3-1.2 mm thick, very convex, the broad cracks very shallow, base of thallus therefore continuous, surface rough from small concolourous verrucae (Fig. 24).—Cortex 35-50 µ thick, quite transparent, surface 10-20 µ yellowish-gray, inspersed, opaque, uneven, in HCl pale olive. Cells distinct in water, 3-3.5 µ, thick-walled also in HCl, paraplectenchymatous. Gonidia 6-12 µ, stratum 50-70(100) µ, not dense and partly not continuous, surface very uneven. Medulla very thick, 0.4-0.7 mm, KOH-, +/- opaque from granules (dissolving in HCl) air, abundant fragments of stone and a pale ochraceous stuff; hyphae mainly perpendicular, thick-walled with +/- rounded cells.
Fertile verrucae, De about 100, slightly more prominent, (0.5)0.8-1(1.5) mm large with flattened top, covered with the very small, 0.1-0.2 mm, confluent discs which form a continuous common disc where the single exciples, cross the surface, gradually become +/- indistinct.—Apothecia 125-200 µ deep, often composed. Exciple laterally about 10 µ, I- or I+ blue in composed apothecia. Hypothecium 20-35 µ, +/- cloudy, I+ greenish-yellow. Hymenium 90-100 µ high, I+ brownish-red; upper 10-15 µ olive-green. Paraphyses +/- distinct in water, 1.7-2 µ, generally simple, non guttulate, K+ moniliform, apices 3-3.5 µ thick, cells generally broadly ellipsoid, rarely subglobose. Asci 70-85 X 15-18 µ, clavate, not fully developed. Spores 8, young, subglobose, about 10-12 µ.
One pycnide 200 X 200 µ, the prominent, pale brown mouth 70-100 µ broad, wall pale, infolded, lumen composed. Sterigmata (13)15-17 µ long, simple, 1.4 µ at the base, apices 1 µ. Conidia 5-7 X 0.8-1 µ, stout, straight.
Habitat. On calciferous, slaty rock.
Locality. Novaya Zemlya. Matotchkin Shar, under Mt Syernaia 1921 LYNGE called L. ochrofusca by ZAHLBR., associated with L. ochrofusca f. composita.
L. Syernaiae is a very peculiar species as well in appearance as in structure. It has a slightly darker colour than L. ochrofusca but is characterized by the unusual type of its composed apothecia. Also pycnidia composed, a rare occurrence in this group. Its whole structure differs from L. ochrofusca.