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rose, P-, UV-, with 4–O–methylphysodic acid (major), lividic acid (minor),
colensoic acid (minor), physodic acid (minor) and related traces. - A corticolous
species, also reported from Australia, South America, Africa and Asia.
Hypotrachyna masonhalei
Patw. & Prabhu
Thallus foliose, closely adnate, 7-9 cm wide, with sublinear to linear, 1-2 mm
wide lobes, lacking soredia, isidia and pustules. Lower surface dark to margin,
with moderately branched rhizines. Apothecia lecanorine. Spores colourless, 1-
celled. Photobiont: chlorococcoid. Spot-tests: cortex K+ yellow (atranorin).
Medulla K+ yellow turning red, C–, KC- , P+ orange (norstictic and salazinic
acids). - A mainly corticolous species, also reported from India and Thailand.
Hypotrachyna osseoalba
(Vain.) Y.S. Park & Hale
Thallus foliose, 3-8 cm wide, moderately to tightly adnate; lobes subcontiguous
to imbricate, (1-)2-3 mm wide. Upper surface mineral grey-green with laminal
to submarginal sorediate pustules and open dactyls. Lower surface moderately
to densely rhizinate; rhizines densely dichotomously branched and projecting
beyond lobe margin. Apothecia lecanorine. Spores colourless, 1-celled.
Photobiont: chlorococcoid. Spot-tests: cortex K-, UV+ yellow (lichexanthone).
Medulla K+ dirty brown, C-, P- or P+ pale orange, with lividic acid (major),
colensoic acid (minor) and related compounds, ±pigmentosin B (trace). - A
corticolous species occurring both in subtropical and temperate regions.
Kroswia crystallifera
P.M. Jørg.
Thallus crustose to subfoliose, thin, spreading and membranous, with elongated,
fan-shaped marginal lobes, swelling considerably when wet, homoiomerous
.Upper surface olive grey with white marbling, with bluish grey marginal
gymnidia (non-corticate isidia that leave inconspicuous scars after falling off).
Lower surface veined, blackened towards the centre, with scattered tufts of
blackish rhizohyphae (single hyphae for attachment). Apothecia unknown. Spot-
tests: all reactions negative. - Rare, mostly found in humid montane forests
above 1400 m together with mosses on tree trunks facing the sun (Horton Plains
and a few places in Nuwara Eliya).
Lecanora helva
Stizenb.
Thallus crustose, continuous or rimose-areolate to verrucose-areolate, with a
dark prothallus, yellowish white to yellowish grey or yellowish green,
sometimes (but not always!) with granulose soredia gathered in well defined,
white to whitish grey soralia. Apothecia lecanorine, subimmersed when young,
sessile when mature, 0.4-1 mm in diam., the disc orange-brown or yellowish
brown, plane, epruinose, the margin concolorous with thallus, thin or thick,
persistent, even, not flexuose, smooth, entire or verrucose or verruculose, with
large crystals insoluble in K; epihymenium with crystals. Spores colourless, 1-
celled. Photobiont: chlorococcoid. Spot-tests: thallus and apothecial margin K+
yellow, C-, KC-, P+ pale orange. - Common at high elevations, on bark and
wood, mostly in humid forest areas above 800 m (Kandy, Kegalle, Matale,
Nuwara Eliya, Nawalapitiya, and Hatton).
