Cladonia lichexanthonica

Cladonia lichexanthonica is a species of saxicolous squamulose lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It is widely distributed in Brazil.

Taxonomy

The species was formally described as new to science in 2018 by the lichenologists André Aptroot and Marcela Eugenia da Silva Cáceres. The type specimen was collected by the authors from the Morro do Pai Inácio at an elevation between ; here the lichen was found growing on siliceous sandstone rock in a transitional forest.

Description

The lichen has a squamulose thallus measuring up to in diameter; this consists of a thick crust comprising individual crowded squamules, pale-olive green to olive brown, measuring 1–5 mm in size. The specific epithet lichexanthonica refers to the presence of lichexanthone, a secondary compound that was not previously known to occur in genus Cladonia.

Distribution

Cladonia lichexanthonica was originally known to occur only at the type locality, and was only known from the type specimen. Since then, its known range has expanded considerably, having been recorded from the states of Minas Gerais, Paraná, Sergipe, and Rio de Janeiro.