''Candelariella complanata'' is a species of

squamulose A squamulose lichen is a lichen that is composed of small, often overlapping "scales" called squamules. If they are raised from the substrate and appear leafy, the lichen may appear to be a foliose lichen, but the underside does not have a "skin ...

(scaley) and saxicolous (rock-dwelling)

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Candelariaceae ''Candelariaceae'' is a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Candelariales. It contains seven genera and about 73 species. The family was circumscribed by Finnish lichenologist Rainar Hakulinen in 1954 to contain the type genus In biolo ...

. Found in southwestern North America, it was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Swedish lichenologist Martin Westberg. The type specimen was collected from a cliff of the Sierra Agua Verde (part of the

Sierra de San Francisco The Sierra de San Francisco is a mountain range in Mulegé Municipality of the northern region of Baja California Sur state, in northwestern Mexico. Geography The Sierra de San Francisco are on the eastern side of the Baja California Peninsula, ...

mountain range, Baja California) at an elevation of about ; here it was found growing on volcanic rock. The thallus of the lichen is complanate (smooth) as a result of its flattened and peltate (like a shield or plate attached on the lower surface) squamules. This gives it a distinct appearance that is referenced in the

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''complanata''. The geographic range of ''Candelariella complanata'' includes Baja California,

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

, and

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, north to southern Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. It prefers to grow on

siliceous rock Siliceous rocks are sedimentary rocks that have silica (SiO2) as the principal constituent. The most common siliceous rock is chert; other types include diatomite. They commonly form from silica-secreting organisms such as radiolarians, diatoms, or ...

in open montane habitats to elevations of at least .

References

complanata Lichen species Lichens described in 2007 Lichens of Mexico Lichens of the Southwestern United States Fungi without expected TNC conservation status Lichens of the South-Central United States {{Ascomycota-stub