Caloplaca lecanorocarpa
Caloplaca lecanorocarpa is a species of saxicolous, crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. Found in Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by the lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Cáceres. It is named for its overall appearance to lichens in the Lecanora subfusca species complex.
Description
The thallus of Caloplaca lecanorocarpa is crustose and, slightly shiny, and grey in colour. The range from round to angular, measuring approximately 0.2–1.0 mm in diameter, and rest on a black . The thallus is about 100–220 μm thick, with a loosely arranged medulla and a cortex containing atranorin crystals, which are about 10–18 μm thick. The cells within the lichen are and measure roughly 6–11 μm in diameter.The apothecia are numerous, scattered, and, ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 mm in diameter and 0.3–0.7 mm in height. They have a concave, glossy, chocolate brown and a grey, glossy, incurved margin with some incisions, raised significantly above the disc. The margin's is similar in structure to the thallus, while the hymenium is not and measures 75–95 μm high. The paraphyses are sparingly branched and widen at the tips. Each ascus contains eight hyaline, ellipsoid, ascospores, around twice as long as they are wide, with a septum occupying about half of their length.
Chemical analysis reveals that both the thallus and apothecium margin react positively to a solution of potassium hydroxide with a yellow colouration. Thin-layer chromatography shows the presence of atranorin and a terpenoid compound.