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On a wooden fence rail on the north Devon coast, we recorded beautiful examples of Lecanora confusa. Among dozens of normal thalli, one was covered in ‘black dots’ and was collected as a possible parasitic fungus. The pycnidia are black from above, many with a pseudothalline margin, reminiscent of the pycnidia of Cliostomum griffithii, about 250um diameter. The wall of the pycnidium is brown, not changing noticeably in KOH. The most remarkable feature is the conidia which are strongly curved, you could say vermiform, about 12-18u x 1u approx (difficult to measure because of the curvature).
Searches for lichenicolous fungi didn’t produce anything and we wonder whether these are the pycnidia of L. confusa itself? LGBI says that some Lecanora conidia are curved but so far we haven’t found any details about L. confusa. Is there anywhere where this information is available and is anyone familiar with the conidia of Lecanora species? It was interesting that only one thallus out of literally dozens showed these structures.
I’m just looking at some young, green crustose thalli. I’d describe them as ‘granular’ rather than sorediate. The margin has a beautiful feathery prothallus. All of the three thalli have brown imbedded pycnidia with a slightly raised thalline rim. The pycnidial walls are colourless except around the ostioles. Conidia are strongly curved and match the possible Lecanora pycnidia shown in this thread. LGBI2 has so little information on pycnidia but the description fits the information that is available. If my chemicals are reliable, the thallus is C- and K-. I have no idea what species these thalli are. It’s probably something that will produce fruit as I get lost in Key 7e after couplet 41 in LGBI2.
Found on three year old, smooth, apple twig in Surrey. the thallus is much greener than in the photo here but the prothallus is pure white.
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