Preliminary version 1 February 2013
Culbersonia nubila (Moberg) Essl.
Lichen Flora Greater Sonoran Desert Region 1: 164 (2002).
Basionym: Pyxine nubila Moberg, Norw. J. Bot. 27: 189 (1980) "Kenya: Rift Valley Prov. (K3), Lake Naivasha Hotel, 0°46'S, 36°24'E, alt. c. 2000 m, 1979 Moberg 4488a (UPS)".
Synonym: Index Fungorum
Type: Kenya, Rift Valley Prov. (K3), Lake Naivasha Hotel, ca. 2000 m, 1979, R. Moberg 4488a (UPS - holotype).
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Coordinates: 0°46'S, 36°24'E
Thallus: foliose, appressed but loosely adnate, up to 3 or 4 cm in diamter, but somewhat difficult to measure in the irregular, often non-rosette forming thallus. Lobes 1 - 3 mm broad, + flat to irregularly concave, rounded and irregularly overlapping to somewhat elongate; 120 - 180 µm thick, upper cortex distinctly paraplectenchymatous, 17 - 40 µm thick, lower cortex irregularly prosoplectenchymatous, 12 - 35 µm thick, in part intergrading with and poorly delimited from the medulla. Upper surface gray, distinctly green when wet, usually with a bluish tint, especially in younger areas, darkening with a bluish to greenish tint in older central areas, the entire upper surface evenly to somewhat unevenly pruinose, mostly smooth on the lobes and only slightly roughened or cracked inwardly. Soredia granular, 25 - 50 µm diameter, bluish-gray, in small soralia, o.5 - 1.5 mm; soralia marginal first and then also laminal in older regions, rounded on the lamina, rounded to irregular on the margins. Medulla white. Lower surface mostly pale, white to slightly tan, peripheral areas with a conspicuous broad region on teh lobes with the same bluish pigment as the upper cortex, older parts often becoming darkened, necrotically, sometimes to almost black, moderately rhizinate, but rhizines not evenly distributed, sparse to rather abundant in different areas, the rhizines simple to irregularly furcate, up to 0.5 - 1 mm long, concolorous with the lower surface. Ascomata very rare, hypothecium dark, internal stipe K-, epithecium K+ purple; spores 1-septate, brown, 16 - 20 / 5 - 9 µm. Conidiomata pycnidial, rare. Conidia pycnidial, rare. Conidia + cylindrical to weakly fusiform, faintly wider in the middle, 5 - 6.5 / 1 µm (Moberg 1980: 189, Esslinger 2002: 164).
Algae: Green alga Trebouxia (Esslinger 2002: 164).
Chemistry: An unknown substance present in various amounts in upper and lower cortex, bluish-greenish regions of both the upper and lower cortex K+ rose-violet, C+ faint but quickly bleaching, N+ rose, somewhat fading, medulla K-, C-, KC-, P-. Without lichen substances (Esslinger 2002: 164).
Ecology: On acidic rock, soil and bark.
Molecular data: Genbank
Distribution: Database
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