Parmeliopsis hyperopta

Common name	Gray Starburst	Code: PARMHYP
Field Characters	Small, leafy chlorolichens. Thalli often circular, 5-10 cm across. Narrow, tightly appressed lobes typically 0.5-2 mm wide. Upper cortex grey, often browned at the lobe tips, with laminal, circular soralia common throughout. Lower surface brown with sparse, short, simple rhizines. Farinose soredia present in laminal soralia. Apothecia are rare; when present they have a brown disc and often a sorediate margin.
Similar species & genera	Parmeliopsis ambigua; pale yellow, upper cortex KC+ oily yellow. Imshaugia: upper cortex typically more white than grey, isidiate or apotheciate, not sorediate, medulla UV-, upper cortex K+ deep yellow (thamnolic acid).Physcia: lower cortex pale, often maculate, when apotheciate the disk is black, medulla UV-.
Ecology	Commonly epiphytic or on downed wood (often lignum), abundant across Alberta’s forested regions. Rare in the parklands, absent from the grasslands. Common niches include the base of coniferous trees or on deciduous shrubs. In the shield and mountain regions, it can also be found on rock.
Chemistry	Upper cortex KC-, K+ yellow, PD+ pale yellow, C-, UV- (atranorin). Medulla KC-, K-, PD-, C-, UV+ blue-white (divaricatic acid).
Molecular support
Links	ABMI Biodiversity Browser Consortium of Lichen Herbaria Ways of Enlichenment Photo Gallery
Gallery