Identification Information: The species is easy to recognize in the field by specialist lichenologists by its parasitic growth on Rinodina alba Arnold. The species’ taxonomy is well defined. The species grows over rocks, its growth in isolated patches on the host suggests obligate parasitism. The thallus is rounded up to 8 cm in diameter, sometimes thalli confluent forming larger patches; the colour is pale orange. Apothecia are sparse or clustered to 1 mm diam., lecanorine with a plane disc red-orange. It is characterized by thick swollen cells of the paraphyses and the broadly elliptical to globose spores.
The global distribution of this species is limited to Sardinia (Italy) with an area of occupancy (AOO) of 4km², although the actual area occupied by this species is only 0.432 km². This species is therefore assessed here as Vulnerable under criterion D2 given that erosion of the local landscape, or a single fire event could result in the extinction of this species.
Assessor/s: Ravera, S.; Reviewer/s: Scheidegger, C.
Bibliography:
IUCN (2017) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 7 December 2017).
Martellos S. (2008) ITALIC - The Information System on Italian Lichens. [ IN4.0/1]. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology, Trieste. Available at: http://italic.units.it/. (Accessed: 7 December 2017).
Nimis P.L. & Poelt J. (1987) The lichens and lichenicolous fungi of Sardinia (Italy). An annotated list. Studia Geobotanica7(Supplement 1): 1-269.
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