Hypogymnia austerodes group

Diane L. Haughland

Hypogymnia austerodes group

This is a group of species that are difficult to distinguish – older literature will key to either H. austerodes or H. bitteri. In 2012 Goward et al. split these 2 species into an additional 5 spp (7 total) – H. protea, H. dichroma, H. salsa, H. verruculosa, and H. farinacea. Molecular work is ongoing to investigate these divisions.

Common name	Varnished Tube group
Code	HYPOAUS grp.
Field Characters	Small to medium-sized, leafy chlorolichens. Thalli adnate, loosely appressed to slightly ascending, slightly stiff. Lobes hollow, branching alternately, with rounded margins. Upper surface browned at least in part, often around the lobe edges, dull to shiny. Lower cortex black, lacking rhizines. Soredia present, in laminal soralia that may be restricted to lobe tips, form discrete pustules, or cover the central thallus diffusely. Some species with isidioid soredia, isidia, or lobules. Apothecia very rare, when present laminal, on short stipes, with brown discs.
Similar species & genera	Hypogymnia tubulosa: erect or ascending, not browned.
Ecology	Epiphytic or on downed wood, rarely saxicolous. Most common in the foothills and mountain forests of Alberta, occasional in the boreal, absent from the parkland and grassland.
Chemistry	Upper cortex PD+ pale yellow or PD-, K+ yellow, C-, KC- or rarely KC+ yellow, UV- (atranorin, chloroatranorin). Medulla K-, C-, KC+ orange-red, PD+ orange-red (physodic acid, 3-hydroxyphysodic acid, physodalic acid, protocetraric acid, ±2′-0-methylphysodic acid). AB collections TLCed: 16.
Molecular support	In progress.
Links	ABMI Biodiversity Browser austerodes bitteri dichroma protea Consortium of Lichen Herbaria austerodes bitteri dichroma protea Ways of Enlichenment Photo Gallery austerodes bitteri dichroma protea
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