Peltigera
Family: Peltigeraceae
Peltigera image
Stephen Sharnoff  
  • Greater Sonoran Desert
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Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.
Life habit: lichenized Thallus: large foliose, rarely small to almost squamulose, approximately circular in outline, (1-)2-30 cm in diam., sometimes forming extensive mats among mosses that may extend for several meters, usually lobate lobes: +flattened and elongate (5-15 mm wide and up to 5 cm long), often dichotomously branched, imbricate or separate; tips: rounded to subtruncate, often ascending upper surface: gray, bluish gray, grayish brown to brown when dry, bluish gray, blackish green or bright green when wet, smooth, dull or shiny, +scabrid, tomentose or pruinose; with or without isidia or soredia upper cortex: paraplectenchymatous medulla: white, +loosely interwoven hyphae photobiont: primary one usually Nostoc but a few species with the chlorococcoid green alga (Coccomyxa) and then with Nostoc as a secondary photobiont in cephalodia lower cortex: absent lower surface: brownish white, densely arachnoid-tomentose or with anastomosing pale or dark brown to black veins, rhizinate; rhizines: white, brown or black, simple, bushy or fasciculate Ascomata: apothecial, frequent, ovoid, semi-immersed, marginal, often at lobe tips or on ascending lobules, up to 10 mm in diam., hemiangiocarpic; margin: smooth to crenulate disc: saddle-shaped, flat or oval, red-brown to black, smooth, paler marginally true exciple: paraplectenchymatous, 100-135 µm wide, marginal cells with short hairs hymenium: brown above, colorless below, K-, I+ blue; paraphyses: septate, simple, 2-3 µm wide, +swollen at the apices and pigmented asci: cylindrical, fissitunicate, Peltigera-type, the apex of the endoascus with a K/I+ blue annulus, 8-spored ascospores: fusiform to acicular, colorless, 3-many septate, 25-75 x 3-7 µm Conidiomata: pycnidial, brown above, pale below, immersed, up to 2 mm in diam. conidia: bacilliform or slightly bifusiform, colorless, simple, 4-10 x 2-4 µm Secondary metabolites: hopane triterpenoids and tridepsides or none detected Geography: world-wide in moist habitats, especially cool temperate ones in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa Substrate: most often on soil and among mosses over rocks, rarely on tree trunks.
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Species within checklist: Saint Croix National Scenic River
Peltigera aphthosa
Image of Peltigera aphthosa
Peltigera canina
Image of Peltigera canina
Peltigera didactyla
Image of Peltigera didactyla
Peltigera elisabethae
Image of Peltigera elisabethae
Peltigera evansiana
Image of Peltigera evansiana
Peltigera horizontalis
Image of Peltigera horizontalis
Peltigera lepidophora
Image of Peltigera lepidophora
Peltigera membranacea
Image of Peltigera membranacea
Peltigera neckeri
Image of Peltigera neckeri
Peltigera polydactylon
Image of Peltigera polydactylon
Peltigera praetextata
Image of Peltigera praetextata
Peltigera rufescens
Image of Peltigera rufescens

This project made possible by National Science Foundation Awards: #1115116