Protoblastenia terricola (Anzi) Lynge, 1921

Pykälä, Juha & Myllys, Leena, 2025, Unexpected species richness of the lichen genus Protoblastenia (Lecanorales, Psoraceae) in Finland, MycoKeys 124, pp. 193-226 : 193-226

Protoblastenia terricola (Anzi) Lynge , Rep. Sci. Res. Norweg. Exped. Novaya Zemlya, 1921 43: 216 (1928)

Biatora rupestris var. terricola Anzi , Cat. Lich. Sondr.: 78 (1860).

Description.

Thallus white to whitish-grey, rimose to areolate, areoles 0.2–0.8 mm, ca. 0.05–0.2 mm thick, K-, C-, UV + bluish-white. Apothecia dirty orange to brown-orange (some with an olive tinge), 0.4–0.9 mm, strongly convex, superficial, K + violet; ca. 70–120 apothecia / cm 2. Epihymenium dark orange-brown, 8–15 μm thick, K + violet. Hymenium 60–100 μm thick. Hypothecium violet to violet-brown, 70–180 μm thick. Paraphyses ca. 2–2.5 μm thick, apex not thickened to slightly thickened, sparingly branched and anastomosing. Ascospores 0 - septate, (9.4 –) 9.7–10.8 – 11.9 (– 12.4) × (4.7 –) 4.9–5.5 – 6.2 (– 7.3) μm (n = 16).

Habitat and distribution.

The species occurs only in northern Finland (biogeographical Provinces Ks and EnL) with one separate population in the biogeographical Province PK (not sequenced) in eastern Finland. It grows on calcareous rock outcrops and on calcareous soil.

Notes.

The specimens on calcareous soil (not sequenced) have a squamulose thallus, thus differing from the other species of Protoblastenia ( Kainz and Rambold 2004) . However, on dolomite rock outcrops, the thallus is more weakly developed, rimose to areolate. The apothecia of P. terricola tend to be dirty orange to brown. Protoblastenia terricola may be most difficult to distinguish from P. pseudoterricola . The only known specimen of P. pseudoterricola has a 60–100 μm thick hypothecium and a 0.05–0.1 mm thick thallus.

Specimen sequenced.

Finland • Koillismaa, Salla, Oulanka National Park, Savilampi 1.2 km NE , bank of Savinajoki River, dolomite rock outcrop, on SE-facing wall, 66°26'N, 29°11'E, 23. 8. 2011, J. Pykälä 44876 ( H) .