Sticta carolinensis T. McDonald

Preliminary version 1 June 2015

Sticta carolinensis T. McDonald

Bryologist 106: 72 (2003).

Protolog: Similis S.beauvoisii Del. sed differt isidiis phyllidiatis, margine plano cyphellarum, et tomento cremo (ad marginem thalli) ad dilute brunneo (in centro).
Type: U.S.A. Arkansas. Newton Co., Ozark National Forest, Upper Buffalo River Wilderness Area, Lower Fork Creek. At side ravine above waterfalls on rock ledges in woods with oak, hickory, and beech, elev. 585 m, Sec. 8, T14N, R23W. 35°53'37" N, 93°26'48" W. 26 May 2000. Wetmore 84809 (holotype, MIN; isotypes, M, NY, A, US).
Type locality: USA, Arkansas, Newton County, Ozark National Forest, Upper Buffalo River Wilderness Area, Lower Fork Creek, at side ravine above waterfalls on rock ledges in woods with oak, hickory, and beech, Sec. 8, T14N, R23W, 585 m, 26 May 2000, Wetmore 84809 (MIN - holotype; M, NY, A, US - isotypes).
Barcode: Available. AY173379, AY173380, AY173381.
Coordinates: 35°53'37" N, 93°26'48" W.

Thallus: foliose, 3-12 cm broad, irregularly branching and spreading. Lobes 2-7 mm wide, tortuous, not clearly defined, imbricate or not, undulating to ascending, once, twice, or rarely three times shallowly to deeply divided or incised, becoming more so at apex, with divisions weakly flabelliform, often slightly imbricate. Margins much notched, rounded, becoming lobulate-looking as phyllidia are developed. Upper surface brown to brownish-gray, usually flat but occasionally slightly rugose, irregularly cracked, not shiny. Isidia phyllidiate, marginal or less frequently laminal, especcially along wounds, with dark brown tips, not tomentose, 0.12-1.95 mm. Soredia absent. Medulla white. Lower surface buff to reddish tan at edges, brown in middle, slightly rugose at edges, sparsely tomentose. Tomentum at edges cream-colored to light tan, simple, 0.12-0.24 mm long; dark brown and thicker in center, with terminal tufts, 0.07-0.23 mm. Rhizines at edge simple, brown, single or in clumps along margin or in center of lobe division, occasionally with tomentum decurrent on base, 0.60-4.38 mm, irregularly branching towards center of thallus, thickened at apex and spreading in plane along substrate, dark brown to black, 0.72-7.62 mm. Cyphellae very small, 0.1-0.3 mm at edge, diameter 0.3-0.9 mm in middle, deep, mostly irregularly shaped, infrequently merging, occasionally clustered, more frequent at edge of thallus (20 per 0.25 square cm) than in middle of thallus (10 per 0.25 square cm), margin thin, flat, lacking tomentum, white basal membrane. Apothecia unknown (McDonald et al. 2003: 73).

Photobiont: a cyanobacterium.

Chemistry: Cortex and medulla K-, C-, and Pd-. No lichen secondary substances found by TLC (McDonald et al. 2003: 73). No lichen substances.

Ecology: Sticta carolinensis occurs near streams on rocks and on deciduous trees, often in moss, at or below 820 m in elevation in the Smoky Mountains.

Molecular data: Genbank

Distribution: Database

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