The Lichen of British Columbia

KEYS TO SPECIES OF FRUTICOSE MACROLICHENS AND MICROLICHENS ACROSCYPHUS Léveillé The Crab-eye Lichen Medium-sized stratified fruticose (shrub) powdery black spore mass/mazaedium, lichen, consisting of dense tufts of semi- this to 1 (–1.5) mm wide, somewhat erect to erect branches, these pale recessed. Spores 2-celled, peanut-shell- greyish, except becoming blackish toward shaped, with a constricted septum, dark base, round in cross-section, rather stout, brown, smooth, arising from short-lived to 15–20 (–30) mm long and 2 mm wide, asci, later extruded. dull, corticate, pliant, solid, sparsely Over wood and acid rock. branched; branching uneven/anisotomic. Soredia, isidia, and pseudocyphellae Reference: Tibell (1984). absent. Medulla yellow to orange, com- Common Name: Refers to the stalked, pact. Attached to substrate by basal hold- eye-like fruiting bodies. fasts. Photobiont green, chlorococcoid. Notes: Acroscyphus is a rare, but widely Ascocarp an apothecium. Apothecia distributed, genus occurring at tropical black, borne at branch tips, consisting of to temperate latitudes. It contains only a narrowly cup-shaped excipulum and a one species. Acroscyphus sphaerophoroides Léveillé Map 2 The crab-eye x3 Habitat/Range: Rare over base-enriched rock or conifer wood in exposed coastal hypermaritime and subalpine localities; western N Am - western Eurasia; N to BC, S to MX. Reactions: Medulla K+ yellow, KC+ red, C+ red. Contents: Atranorin, calycin, chrysophanol, gyrophoric acid, rugulosin, skyrin, usnic acid, and zeorin. Variability: High. Notes: In North America, A. sphaerophoroides has hitherto been detected only in British Columbia and Mexico. This is a widespread lichen, though apparently rare throughout its range; only about a dozen localities are known worldwide (Tibell 1984). ACROSCYPHUS AGRESTIA J.W. Thomson The Vagabond Lichen Small to medium-sized fruticose (shrub) Ascocarp an apothecium, borne lateral- lichen, consisting of loose tufts of decum- ly, disc generally blackish, rare. Spores bent to semi-erect branches, these pale to 1-celled, globose, colourless, two to four dark olivaceous grey, round to oval or per ascus. Pycnidia not reported. irregular in cross-section, slender, to ‒ Over friable soil in highly exposed (‒) mm long and 0.5–1.0 (–2.0) mm sites. wide, dull, smooth, corticate, brittle, solid, rather richly branched; branching References: Thomson (1960); Brodo even/isotomic to more often uneven/ (1977). anisotomic. Soredia and isidia absent. Common Name: Refers to the tendency of Pseudocyphellae conspicuous, white, this species to grow unattached, and often somewhat depressed, scattered. hence to “wander” from place to place. Medulla white. Weakly attached to sub- Notes: Agrestia occurs in semi-arid cli- strate by indistinct basal holdfasts, or mates in cool-temperate latitudes. It is often growing unattached. Photobiont perhaps more appropriately accommo- green, chlorococcoid: Trebouxia. dated within the crustose genus Aspicilia. Agrestia hispida (Mereschk.) Hale & Culb. Map 3 (Syn. Aspicilia hispida Mereschk.) Desert vagabond x5 Habitat/Range: Rare over thin, granular, generally volcanic soil in exposed outcrops in the dry intermontane (IDF) at lower to middle elevations; western N Am - eastern Eurasia, N to BC, S to ID, (MT), (OR), WY, (NV), UT, (CO), NM; AB. Reactions: All spot tests negative. Contents: No lichen substances reported. Variability: Medium. Notes: The occurrence in semi-arid regions over dry friable soils in open, wind-blasted, south-facing sites is unique among British Columbia’s macrolichens. LICHENS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PART 2 – FRUTICOSE SPECIES ALECTORIA Ach. The Witch’s Hair Lichens Medium-sized to large fruticose (hair) fasts. Photobiont green, chlorococcoid: lichens, consisting of tufts or tresses of Trebouxia. semi-erect to decumbent or pendent Ascocarp an apothecium, borne lateral- branches, these greenish to greenish yel- ly, disc generally brownish or blackish, low or occasionally becoming blackish, concave to convex. Spores 1-celled, ellip- round in cross-section to occasionally soid, brown at maturity, two to four per somewhat flattened or angular, hairlike, ascus. Pycnidia rare. to ‒ (‒!) mm long and 0.5–3.0 Mostly over bark, but also over ground (–40!) mm wide, shiny or dull, mostly or rock in exposed sites. smooth, corticate, pliant or brittle, solid or in part hollow, richly branched, lacking References: Brodo and Hawksworth spinules, but spinule-like “isidia” occa- (1977); McCune and Goward (1995). sionally arising from pseudocyphellae; Common Name: Traditional. branching even/isotomic to uneven/aniso- Notes: Alectoria is a cool-temperate to arc- tomic. Soredia present or absent. Isidia tic genus consisting of seven species present (and then spinule-like) or absent. worldwide. All of these occur in North Pseudocyphellae present, white. Medulla America, though only four are present white. Attached to substrate by basal hold- in British Columbia. KEY TO ALECTORIA AND SIMILAR LICHENS 1a x2.2 1a Branch tips pale green (check extreme tips), at least in part bearing minute fiddlehead-like “hooks”(←), these frequently minutely sorediate (check under hand lens); pseudocyphellae generally inconspicuous (check main branches); mostly over trees . Ramalina thrausta 1b Branch tips pale or dark, not at all hooked, lacking soredia and granules; pseudocyphellae generally conspicuous; substrate various. 2 2a Thallus containing usnic acid: pale greenish, at least in part; cortex KC+ yellow (usnic acid present: check pale branches), PD-, K-, or occasionally in part K+ red; pseudocyphellae abundant, generally conspicuous . 3 4a 3a Pseudocyphellae bearing distinct isidia or isidia-like spinules, or both; tree- x10 dwelling . 4 4a Main branches conspicuously and irregularly flattened in cross-section; spinules borne in more or less tufted clusters(←), at least in part; intermontane . Alectoria imshaugii 4b Main branches mostly round in cross-section; spinules scattered more or less singly along branches, or at least not tufted; thallus generally pendent; hypermaritime . see Alectoria imshaugii 3b Pseudocyphellae not at all spinulose; tree- or ground-dwelling. 5 5a Tree-dwelling . 6 6a Thallus distinctly yellowish green, or at least usually not greyish green; medulla lax, at least in part (check main branches), C-; 6a branches pliant to distinctly brittle; widespread in humid forests x10 at all elevations . Alectoria sarmentosa ssp. sarmentosa 6b Thallus greyish green, or at least usually not yellowish green; medulla generally compact throughout, C+ red (or rarely C-); branches distinctly brittle; coastal at lower elevations . Alectoria vancouverensis ALECTORIA 5b Ground-dwelling. 7 8a 7a Main branches distinctly flattened/strap-shaped in cross-section, x3 usually to more than 2 mm wide; thallus prostrate . Alectoria sarmentosa ssp. vexillifera 7b Main branches more or less circular in cross-section, usually to less than 2 mm wide; thallus erect to prostrate . 8 8a Thallus erect to rarely prostrate; upper portion of branches often distinctly blackened(←); medulla CK+ golden yellow (diffractaic acid present); alpine; common . Alectoria ochroleuca 8b Thallus prostrate; upper portion of branches not blackened (except blackened at extreme branch tips: check under hand lens); medulla CK- (diffractaic acid absent); exposed outcrops at all elevations . Alectoria sarmentosa ssp. sarmentosa (rare ground-dwelling form) 2b Thallus lacking usnic acid: pale yellowish or greyish (at least in part), but never greenish; cortex either KC+ pink/red or PD+ yellow or orange (alectorialic or barbatolic acids present, or both), also K+ pale yellow/bright yellow (rarely K+ red); pseudocyphellae abundant or sparse, conspicuous or not . 9 10a 9a Tree-dwelling; thallus long-pendent; in sheltered sites, mostly at lower eleva- x10 tions; medulla KC- . Bryoria capillaris 9b Ground-dwelling or occasionally tree-dwelling; thallus tufted; in exposed sites at treeline and above; medulla KC+ red . 10 10a Thallus pale at base, at least in part; main branches bearing distinct pseudocyphellae(←), these plane to raised, often rather broad; soredia absent; branch tips mostly weakly reflexed; widespread; common . Alectoria nigricans 10b Thallus blackened at base; main branches bearing inconspicuous pseudocyphellae, these plane, narrow; soredia present or occasionally absent; branch tips mostly not reflexed; coastal; apparently rare . Bryoria nadvornikiana Alectoria imshaugii Brodo & D. Hawksw. Map 4 Spiny witch’s hair Habitat/Range: Infrequent over conifers, especially Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine, in open intermontane (ICH) forests at lower elevations, also apparently present at low elevations in hypermaritime regions, mostly south of 50°N (but see Notes, below); western N Am, N to BC, S to WA, ID, MT, OR, CA. Reactions: Cortex KC+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow or K-, KC- or rarely KC+ red, PD- or PD+ yellow to orange. Contents: Usnic acid and squamatic acid or thamnolic acid. Variability: High. Notes: In specimens from hypermaritime regions, the main branches are predominantly round in cross-section, not angular-compressed, as in inland material; the former material may represent a separate species. LICHENS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, PART 2 – FRUTICOSE SPECIES Alectoria nigricans (Ach.) Nyl. Grey witch’s hair Habitat/Range: Frequent over acid and often base-rich rock, stony soil, and duff in exposed alpine sites throughout, also infrequent over low branches of conifers; cir- cumpolar, N to sAK, AK, YU, wNT, S to WA, MT, OR, CO,

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