Lepraria, Acharius, 1803

Bajpai, Rajesh, Upreti, D. K. & Nayaka, Sanjeeva, 2018, The lichen genera Lepraria (Stereocaulaceae) and Leprocaulon (Leprocaulaceae) in India, Phytotaxa 356 (2), pp. 101-116 : 115

Key to lichen genera Lepraria and Leprocaulon from India

1. Thallus leprose, rarely squamulose, attached to the substratum by all part or part of the lower surface, chemicals presents...........2

1a. Thallus dendroid branched, flattend or dorsiventral, (primary verrucose to squamulose, secondary pseudopodetium but cephalodia absent)...............................................................................................................................................................................................24

2. Protocetraric acid and/or fumarprotocetraric acid present.................................................................................................................3

2a. Protocetraric acid and/or fumarprotocetraric acid absent...................................................................................................................5

3. Thallus powdery, soredia very fine (up to 30 μm, consoredia up to 60 μm) ..... Lepraria friabilis Lendemer, K. Kundsen & Elix

3a. Thallus granular or membranous, soredia or thallus granules (similar to isidia) mostly coarse (predominantly>100 μm diam.)...4

4. Thallus distinctly lobate, with thick raised marginal rim, lobes>0· 5 mm wide, projecting hyphae absent; granules mostly 320–540 μm diam............................................................................................................. Lepraria isidiata (Llimona) Llimona & A. Crespo

4a. Thallus without lobes or obscure minute lobes present without thick raised rim ..... Lepraria caesioalba (de Lesd) J. R. Laundon

5 Stictic acid complex and terpenoids present......................................................................................................................................6

5a. Stictic acid complex and terpenoids absent........................................................................................................................................8

6. Medulla absent or inconspicuous; soredia are mostly fine (20–45 μm diam.), consoredia are rare; thallus margin diffuse; thallus whitish ..................................................................................................................................................... Lepraria elobata Tǿnsberg

6a. Medulla distinct..................................................................................................................................................................................7

7. Thallus margin with poorly developed lobes, soredia with long projecting hyphae, loosely packed and soft, mostly fine to medium sized (30–100 μm diam.);............................................................................................................................. Lepraria lobificans Nyl.

7a. Thallus margin with well developed marginal lobes with a raised margin, medulla clearly developed, soredia abundant, (10-50 μm diam.), with small projecting hyphae ....................................................................................... Lepraria indica R. Bajpai & Upreti

8. Alectorialic acid present.....................................................................................................................................................................9

8a. Alectorialic acid absent....................................................................................................................................................................10

9. Thallus soft, soredia loosely packed, medulla distinct and usually thick...................................... Lepraria eburnea J. R. Laundon

9a. Thallus hard, granular, soredia densely packed, medulla inconspicuous ..................................... Lepraria neglecta (Nyl.) Erichsen

10. Divaricatic acid present....................................................................................................................................................................11

10a. Divaricatic acid absent.....................................................................................................................................................................12

11. Hypothallus present, thick, usually brown; soredia sparsely distributed on hypothallus..................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................. Lepraria yunnaniana (Hue) Zahlbr.

11a. Hypothallus absent, soredia abundant ....................................................................................................... Lepraria incana (L.) Ach.

12. Pannaric acid or one of pannaric acid derivatives present as main substance..................................................................................13

12a. Pannaric acid and its derivatives absent or present in trace to minor amounts besides other major compound(s)..........................14

13. Pannaric acid present as only major dibenzofuran................................................................. Lepraria membranacea (Dicks) Vain.

13a. Pannaric acid absent or only in traces, other major dibenzofurans present........................... Lepraria vouauxii (Hue) R. C. Harris

14. Lecanoric acid present......................................................................................................................................................................15

14a. Lecanoric acid absent.......................................................................................................................................................................16

15. Zeorin present, dark brown hypothallus present (usually thick, rarely thin)................ Lepraria cupressicola (Hue) J. R. Laundon

15a. Zeorin absent, thallus margin diffuse, hypothallus usually present, thin, soredia fine (up to.50μm diam.) ........................................ ............................................................................................................................................... Lepraria achariana Flakus & Kukwa

16. Thamnolic acid present....................................................................................................... Lepraria aurescens Orange & Wolseley

16a. Thamnolic acid absent......................................................................................................................................................................17

17. Usnic acid present together with zeorin...........................................................................................................................................18

17a. Usnic acid absent, zeorin, pannarin absent or present......................................................................................................................21

18. Thallus margin diffuse or delimited, lobes poorely develop/absent.................................................................................................19

18a. Thallus margin distinctly lobed, lobed with raised rim ............................... Leprocaulon coriense (Hue) Lendemer & Hodkinson

19. Medulla thick/thin, Lobes absent.....................................................................................................................................................20

19a. Medulla thin, if lobes present without rim less than 0· 5 mm wide; soredia irregularly shaped, not well separated from each other. .......................................................................... Leprocaulon textum (K. Knudsen, Elix & Lendemer) Lendemer & Hodkinson

20. Medulla thick and cottony .................................................................................................. Lepraria leuckertiana (Zedda) L. Saag.

20a. Medulla absent or thin ................................................................................................. Lepraria ecorticata (J.R. Laundon) Kukwa

21. Usnic acid absent, zeorin absent or present, pannarin present ............................................................................................................. .................................................................... Leprocaulon adhaerens (K. Knudsen, Elix & Lendemer) Lendemer & Hodkinson

21a. Usnic, pannarin absent, zeorin absent or present.............................................................................................................................22

22. Zeorin present, fatty acids absent, distinct well-developed marginal lobes present, over 0· 5 mm wide and mostly with marginal rim.....................................................................................................................................................................................................23

22a. Zeorin absent, fatty acid present..................................................................................................... Lepraria granulata S. Slavikova

23. Medulla present; rangiformic/jackinic or roccellic/angardianic acid present ..................................... Lepraria lobata Elix & Kalb.

23a. Medulla absent; fatty acids absent.................................................................................................... Lepraria caesiella R. C. Harris

24. Thallus K- or K+ brownish, P+ orange-red to miniate red, atranorin, physodalic, didymic and grayanic acids present .................... .................................................................................................................................................... Leprocaulon arbuscula (Nyl.) Nyl.

24a. Thallus K+ intense yellow or K-, P+ yellow then orange-red, or P-, thamnolic, squamatic, baeomycesic and barbatic acids present................................................................................... Leprocaulon pseudoarbuscula (Asahina) I.M. Lamb & A.M. Ward