Parmeliopsis
Parmeliopsis Nyl., 1866
| Common name | Starburst Lichens |
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| Field Characters | Small, leafy chlorolichens. Narrow, tightly appressed lobes typically 0.5-2 mm wide. Upper cortex grey, blue-grey or pale yellow with laminal, circular soralia common throughout. Lower surface brown with sparse, short, simple rhizines. Both species have round, laminal soralia with powdery soredia. Apothecia are rare; when present they have a brown disc and often a sorediate margin. | ||
| Similar species & genera |
Arctoparmelia: on rock, cortices typically dull yellow, lower cortex pale or mousy-grey to purplish-black. For some collections thin layer chromatography may be required. Arctoparmelia contains alectoronic acid in the medulla while P. ambigua contains divaricatic acid – both react UV+ blue-white.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-. |
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| Ecology | Commonly epiphytic or on downed wood (often lignum). 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, where it may be mistaken for Arctoparmelia. | ||
| Chemistry | Upper cortex with either atranorin (KC-, K+ yellow, PD-, C-, UV-) or usnic acid (KC+ yellow, K- or K+ pale yellow, PD-, C-, UV-). Medulla KC-, K-, PD-, C-, UV+ blue-white (divaricatic acid). | ||
| Molecular support |
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| Links | |||
Species recorded in Alberta: 2
- P. ambigua (Wulfen) Nyl. Syn.: Foraminella ambigua
- P. hyperopta (Ach.) Arnold Syn.: Foraminella hyperopta
DICHOTOMOUS KEY
1a. Upper cortex grey, K+pale yellow, KC- ……P. hyperopta
1b. Upper cortex yellow, K-, KC+ oily yellow ………..P. ambigua
RENR Students: Know both species – be able to key these species out or recognize them (also covered in Brodo et al. 2001 and Goward 1999).
Resources
Brodo, I. M. 2016. Keys to the lichens of North America. Revised and Expanded. Yale University Press, in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff, and S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press, New Haven and London.
Goward, T., B. McCune, and D. Meidinger. 1994. The Lichens of British Columbia Illustrated Keys. Part 1 – Foliose and Squamulose Species. Ministry of Forests Research Program, Province of British
Columbia.
