VEGETATIVE FEATURES

Thallus habit: encrusting, smooth surface, squarrose on old plants. Thalli becoming confluent, confluences forming small crests. Entire, thin, faint margin, sometimes lobed edge. Size: diameter up to 5cm, up to 3mm thick. Colour of living specimen: pale pink. Colour of dried specimen: white, grey, pink.

Basal crust: multistratose. Medulla: rectangular cells (10) long 15-22µm x 5-7µm in diameter. Cortex: ovoid cells, filaments loose; well developed tissue with more or less pigmented zones; cells (3) 7-10 (12)µm long x (3) 5-7 (10)µm in diameter (A). Epithallial cells: flared (B). Cell connections: cell fusions.

Gametangial conceptacles: raised, conical, often whitish (C); spermatangial 200-300µm in diameter; carpogonial outer diameter 300-450µm. Tetra/bisporangial conceptacles: multiporate (50-100 pores), slightly raised, numerous, orbicular, almost always flattened, often confluent (D); outer diameter 300-500µm, 150-400µm in diameter x 90-140µm high. Conceptacles surrounded by a rosette of 6-8 cells.

Habitat: epilithic or on small shells; epiphytic, sciaphilous species, it always lives in scarcely illuminated environments. Recorded particularly in association with Lithophyllum incrustans and Mesophyllum lichenoides. Bathymetric distribution: sublittoral, from 3 to 45m deep. Geographic distribution (Babbini & Bressan 1997):

Western Mediterranean Sea (African shores) (B): Tunisia; Middle Western Mediterranean Sea (C): Spain, France, Italy; North Western Mediterranean Sea (D): France; North Adriatic Sea (E): Italy; Middle Adriatic Sea (F): Italy; South Adriatic Sea (G): Italy; South Eastern Mediterranean Sea (H): Italy, Israel.