Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Lichinella nigritella is described as "foliose-fruticose". The distinction is hard to make because although the thallous is divided into obvious lobes, it is narrowly umbilicate to the substrate. The thallous is jet black on both surfaces. Asci develop in structures called "thallinocarps", inconspicuous areas on the thallous that are the same color as the rest of the thallous and therefore infrequently noted. The photobiont is a cyanobacterium-- Chroococcidiopsis. Chroococcidiopsis is similar to Gloeocapsa. It is found singly or in small groups near the surface of the thallous in Lichinella nigritella. No chemical tests are positive. This species is very similar to L. cribellifera. Our specimen was growing on a large boulder.
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Lichinella nigritella, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019

Lichinella nigritella, in situ, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019

Lichinella nigritella, photomicrograph of thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019

Lichinella nigritella, photomicrograph of undersurface of thallus showing narrow umbilicate attachment to substrate, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019

Lichinella nigritella, cross section of thallus with cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019

Lichinella nigritella, cross section of thallus with cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019

Lichinella nigritella, cross section of thallus with cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Hell's Half Acre, October 13, 2019