LICHALP

Placolecis opaca (Dufour) Hafellner

Syn.: Astroplaca opaca (Dufour) Bagl., Biatora opaca (Dufour) Jatta, Lecidea endochrysoides Hue, Lecidea opaca Dufour, Psora opaca (Dufour) A. Massal.

Lichenised.

Substrate: calciferous rocks

Altitudinal range: from the mesomediterranean belt (potential vegetation: evergreen broad-leaved forests dominated by Quercus ilex) to the submediterranean/colline belt (potential vegetation: mixed deciduous forests dominated by Quercus and Carpinus)

Note: a calcicolous lichen found in the Mediterranean and (more rarely) submediterranean belts, on both shaded and sunny surfaces of compact calcareous rocks; its distribution extends widely into Central Asia; apparently most frequent in the Southern and Western Alps, at low elevations, but generally rare; the records from Switzerland are dubious.