''Umbilicaria maculata'' is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling)

umbilicate lichen An umbilicate lichen is a lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Umbilicariaceae The Umbilicariaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the Ascomycota. Species of this family are known from a variety of climates, including temperate, boreal, austral, and warmer montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of m ...

. It is found in high-elevation

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

locations in Poland and France.

Taxonomy

''Umbilicaria maculata'' was formally described as a new species in 2009 by Beata Krzewicka, María Paz Martín, and Miguel Angel García. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

was collected by the first author from Mały Kozi Wierch, a peak in the Tatra Mountains ( Western Carpathians) at an elevation of .

Description

The

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...

of ''Umbilicaria maculata'' is monophyllous, meaning that it consists of a single more or less orbicular, flattened, leafy lobe with a single point of attachment to the substrate. It is grey to grey–brown in colour with some whiter regions, and up to in diameter with a smooth, dull upper surface. The thallus undersurface is also smooth and dull, with a pale creamy to white colour that darkens towards the edges. The medulla is white and comprises two layers: a loose upper part with a webby (''arachnoidal'') plectenchyma, and a more compact plectenchyma in the lower part. Apothecia (spore-bearing structures) are black and about 1 mm in diameter; they have an apothecial disc with central column of sterile tissue (''omphalodisc'') and a fissure in the centre. The

asci ASCI or Asci may refer to: * Advertising Standards Council of India * Asci, the plural of ascus, in fungal anatomy * Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative * American Society for Clinical Investigation * Argus Sour Crude Index * Association of ...

are club-shaped (''clavate''), contain eight spores, and measure 40–45 by 10–15

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

Ascospore An ascus (; ) is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. Each ascus usually contains eight ascospores (or octad), produced by meiosis followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera or s ...

s are

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

and with dimensions of 10–12 by 5–6 μm.

Habitat and distribution

''Umbilicaria maculata'' grows on the vertical faces of siliceous rocks in

and subnival habitats, preferring locations that are shaded and exposed to wind. Originally known from only a few location in the Tatra Mountains, it has since been reported from

Uvernet-Fours Uvernet-Fours ( oc, Uvernet e Forns, link=no) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department The following is a list of the 198 Communes ...

in southeastern France, where it was found on the vertical faces of large blocks of Annot sandstone, at an elevation of . The authors call the lichen "extremely rare", but acknowledge that its true distribution is not well understood because of potential confusion with the lookalike ''

Umbilicaria cylindrica Rock tripe is the common name for various lichens of the genus ''Umbilicaria'' that grow on rocks. They are widely distributed, including on bare rock in Antarctica, and throughout northern parts of North America such as New England and the Rocky ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17390697 maculata Lichen species Lichens described in 2009 Lichens of Southwestern Europe Lichens of Middle Europe