LICHALP

Verrucaria arnoldii J. Steiner

Syn.: Verrucaria hiascens auct. non (Ach.) Spreng., Verrucaria hochstetteri var. arnoldii (J. Steiner) Clauzade & Cl. Roux

Lichenised. Poorly known taxon.

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: a species of the V. hochstetteri-group with an unresolved nomenclature (superfluous new name for a legitimate species), with a white to greyish thallus, ascomata sunken in the rock with the conical ostiolar region breaking through thalline/substratic warts, reported to be distinguishable by the smaller ascospores (24-35 × 12-18 μm); on limestone and dolomite, widespread in Europe including the Alps, but not always distinguished.