Catapyrenium boccanum
Catapyrenium boccanum is a species of squamulose, rock-dwelling lichen in the family Verrucariaceae. It grows on mortar or on calcareous rock. Its squamules are up to 4 mm wide, pale to dark brown with black margins and a black underside. Ascospores measure 11–15 by 5–8 μm. Because of its combination of squamulose thallus, simple, and lack of algae in the hymenium, this species is a "catapyrenioid" lichen, of which more than 80 exist in the Verrucariaceae.
Taxonomy
The lichen was first formally described as a new species in 1955 by the Czech lichenologist Miroslav Servít. Othmar Breuss transferred it to Catapyrenium in 1990 as part of a revision of that genus.Description
Catapyrenium boccanum is a characterised by scattered to contiguous that measure 2–4 mm across. These squamules are firmly attached to their substrate throughout most of their area, though they may have slightly upturned margins. They are irregularly circular or somewhat lobed in shape. The upper surface displays a brown colouration that can be matt or slightly glossy in appearance.The lower thallus surface is distinctively black all the way to the margin, creating a visible dark rim around each squamule. The lower consists of round to somewhat angular cells. The rhizoidal hyphae are colourless.
Reproductive structures of C. boccanum include immersed perithecia, with an that is pale except around the ostiole. The asci are cylindrical in shape. The measure 12–16 by 5.5–7.5 μm, are ellipsoidl in shape, and arranged in a single row.
The species also produces pycnidia that are and immersed. These structures contain cylindric-ellipsoidal conidia that are 3–4 μm in length.