Within the genus Bellemerea, this species is characterized by a grey thallus, which may be partly rusty and is K-; and also by apothecia, which are dark brown to black when dry and red-brown when wet and contain relatively small ascospores. The species concept used to be wider in older literature. According to current identification keys, it has smaller spores (7–16(–18) × 4–9(–10) μm) than B. sanguinea (Clauzade & Roux 1985, Owe-Larsson & Ryan 2008). However, the differences might not be obvious due to the presence of a thick gelatinous epispore, which is present in all Bellemerea species. The epispore is IK+ blue-violet and gets conspicuously larger in microscopic slices after the application of KOH.
Similar to other Bellemerea species, B. cinereorufescens has a Holarctic arctic-alpine distribution. It grows at higher elevations on humid siliceous rocks, often enriched in metals, commonly on less exposed (sometimes even quite shady) stands with long-lasting snow cover. In the Czech Republic, it has long been known from the Krkonoše Mts, from where the variety sudetica was circumscribed (Eitner 1911), and also from the Králický Sněžník Mts. There are recent records in the Šumava and Jeseníky Mts.
Literature: Eitner E. (1911): Dritter Nachtrag zur schlesischen Flechtenflora. – Jahresbericht der Schlesischen Gesellschaft für Vaterländische Kultur, Abt. Zool.-Bot., Breslau, 88: 20–60. Clauzade G. & Roux C. (1985): Likenoj de Okcidenta Eǔropo. Ilustrita determinlibro. – Bulletin de la Société Botanique du Centre-Ouest, Nouvelle Série, N. S. 7: 1–897. Owe-Larsson B. & Ryan B. D. (2008): Bellemerea. – In Nash III T. H., Gries C. & Bungartz F. [eds], Lichen flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert region, Vol. 3. Pp. 110–112, Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Lecideaceae → Bellemerea
All records: 2, confirmed 1. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).