80
Stereocaulon foliolosum
Nyl.
Primary thallus crustose, terricolous or rarely saxicolous. Secondary thallus
fruticose, consisting of cylindrical pseudopodetia which are up to 4 cm tall,
sparingly branched, brownish white, densely covered by flattened, leaf-like
phyllocladia. Cephalodia present, brown, enclosing cyanobacteria (
Nostoc
).
Apothecia terminal. Photobiont: chlorococcoid (cyanobacterial in the
cephalodia). Spot-tests: phyllocladia K+ yellow, P+ pale yellow. - Rare on well-
lit soil banks in humid forests above 1300 m (Pattipola station to Horton Plains).
Sticta fuliginosa
(Hoffm.) Ach.
Thallus foliose, monophyllous, often deeply indented or incised and appearing
polyphyllous, 2-6(-8) cm in diam., rather loosely attached by a central, irregular
umbilicus. Lobes broadly rounded to somewhat ragged-lacerate, folded to
imbricate centrally, (0.5-)1-4(-6) cm wide, the margins broadly rounded, thinly
ridged below and often rolled under. Upper surface livid slate grey, to blue-
black, suffused red-brown in parts when moist, pale glaucous-grey to brown
when dry, shallowly to deeply wrinkled or subfoveolate, dull to somewhat
scabrid-areolate, brittle when dry, with minute, white maculae delicately
marbling upper surface (lens!). Isidia minute, granular to styliform, brown-
black, glossy, very delicate and friable, in clusters at margins and on thalline
ridges, often coalescing into a dark crust. Lower surface pale cream white to
buff at margins, pale brown centrally, densely tomentose from margins to center, with scattered flat, crateriform,
cyphellae (0.1-)0.5-2(-3) mm in diam., with a white basal membrane. Apothecia rare, lecanorine. Spores colourless, 1-
3-septate, fusiform-ellipsoid. Photobiont: cyanobacterial. Spot-tests: all negative. - Both on bark and mossy rocks in
humid and shaded situations; the records from Sri Lanka require re-confirmation.
Sticta limbata
(Sm.) Ach.
Thallus foliose, monophyllous, reniform to irregularly spreading, loosely
attached at one point, occasionally suberect, 1-4(-6) cm in diam. Lobes broadly
rounded to subirregular, with sinuous, thickened margins rolled under forming a
definite ridge below. Upper surface livid slate grey to grey-brown or red-brown
when dry, undulate, smooth to irregularly wrinkled, with minute, white maculae
forming a delicate marbling when wet (lens!). Soredia coarsely granular, grey-
blue, in erose, linear marginal soralia or in scattered, rounded, pustular laminal
soralia usually close to lobe margins. Medulla white. Lower surface pale
yellowish buff to brown, wrinkled-ridged or striate near margins, elsewhere
densely felted-tomentose; tomentum grey to brown-black. Cyphellae sparse,
rounded to irregular, 0.5-1.5(-2) mm in diam., sunken in tomentum, with very
thin, slightly raised margins. Apothecia very rare (not seen in Sri Lankan material). Photobiont: cyanobacterial. Spot
tests: all negative. - Rare in humid high elevation montane forests in shady, very humid sites, growing together with
mosses (Kalupahana area in the Knuckles mountain region).
Sticta weigelii
(Ach.) Vain.
Thallus foliose, lobed, bluish-grey to greyish brown, deeply dissected, loosely
attached, 5-7 cm wide. Lobes irregularly branching, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, the apex
rounded, crowded in the center (like cabbage leaves), with isidia along the
sinuous margins. Isidia minute, cylindrical to coralloid, dark grey-brown,
densely crowded at the margins. Upper surface glabrous, flat to concave,
maculate. Medulla white. Lower surface dark brown to black, densely
tomentose. Cyphellae round, deeply excavate, with prominent margins.
Apothecia rare, lecanorine. Photobiont: cyanobacterial. Spot tests: all negative. -
Locally common only in humid high elevation forest areas, often amongst
mosses (Horton Plains, Knuckles upper montane forest, Kalupahana and
Gombaniya areas, Hakgala Reserve and Pidurutalagala Peak).
Strigula
spp.
Thallus crustose, usually growing on leaves, whitish to dark olive-brown, thin to moderately thick, usually ecorticate.
Perithecia, immersed in the thallus to almost superficial, or immersed in thalline verrucae, solitary, with an apical or,
