Lepra leucosora

Taxon

Lepra leucosora

Authority
(Nyl.) Hafellner (2016)
Synonyms
Pertusaria leucosora
Conservation Status
BLS Number
2311
Comments
Channel Islands only
General Description

Description from Cannon et al (2021) below.

Identification

Forms circular colonies up to 10 cm diam.; thallus thick, pale to dark grey, cracked, areolate, with a zoned margin, prothallus absent; upper surface rough with warts 0.5– 1.5 mm diam.; circular white soralia abundant, crowded towards the centre of the thallus but remaining discrete; soredia coarsely granular. Thallus K–, KC–; medulla C–, K± dirty brown; soralia C–, K± dirty brown, Pd+ yellow changing to red, UV– (protocetraric acid). 

Formerly regarded as synonymous with L. aspergilla but differs in chemistry, the warted upper surface and the neat, rounded soralia.

Habitats

On slightly basic rock in coastal sites, including walls and churchyards, preferring slightly sheltered situations. 

Distribution Map
Key to map date classes
Distribution

Rare. Channel Islands, across Europe including inland sites.

References

Cannon, P., Kukwa, M., Coppins, B., Fletcher, A., Sanderson, N. & Simkin, J. (2021). Pertusariales: Ochrolechiaceae, including the genera Lepra, Ochrolechia and Varicellaria. Revisions of British and Irish Lichens 5: 1-17. Link