LICHALP

Protoparmeliopsis versicolor (Pers.) M. Choisy

Syn.: Lecanora albomarginata (Nyl.) Cromb., Lecanora muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh. subsp. versicolor (Pers.) Cl. Roux, Lecanora muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh. var. albomarginata (Nyl.) Tomin, Lecanora muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh. var. albopulverulenta (Schaer.) Rabenh., Lecanora muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh. var. versicolor (Pers.) Tuck., Lichen versicolor Pers.

Lichenised.

Substrate: calciferous rocks

Altitudinal range: from the submediterranean/colline belt (potential vegetation: mixed deciduous forests dominated by Quercus and Carpinus) to the alpine belt (potential vegetation: treeless Alpine grasslands and tundras, to the lower limit of perennial snow and the equilibrium line of glaciers)

Note: this lichen has been often treated just as a calcicolous morph of P. muralis, and hence it has not been always distinguished in the recent lichenological literature. However, since it is easily recognisable, and above all because, contrary to P. muralis, it is parasitised by Placocarpus schaereri, we treat it separately, using the rank of species only because a combination into Protoparmeliopsis was already available. Its status could be solved only by a thorough molecular analysis of the whole complex in Europe.