Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Punctelia hypoleucites is a gray-green lichen that grows on trees, and in our area grows alongside Flavopunctelia soredica with which it can be confused. However, Punctelia hypoleucites does not have soralia. P. hypoleucites commonly has apothecia with brown discs. There are pycnidia with black stomata containing large quantities of straight conidia. The center of the thallus near the apothecia tends to be very wrinkled. Its undersurface is brown. The medulla of P. hypoleucites is deep red in sodium hypochlorite. br
Please click on an image for a larger file.

Punctelia hypoleucites, growing on gray oak (Quercus grisea), photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, apothecia and wrinkled thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, apothecia and wrinkled thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, apothecia and wrinkled thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, lateral portion of thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, lateral portion of thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, brown undersurface of thallus, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, medulla deep red in NaOCl, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, pycnidium after compressing cover slip to express conidia, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos

Punctelia hypoleucites, straight conidia, photo Russ Kleinman & Karen Blisard, Pinos Altos Range, Pinos Altos