Helocarpon crassipes Th. Fr.

A tiny mountain lichen with an arctic-alpine distribution. The dark, nearly stalked apothecia, constricted at their bases, are formed on a relatively conspicuous granulose grey thallus. The species grows on humus, plant detritus and bryophytes, for example between stones or in crevices of siliceous rocks in naturally forestless areas. A part of historical reports on Lecidella assimilata var. infuscata from the Krkonoše Mts (Stein 1879), in the Catalogue by Vězda & Liška 1999 classified as Micarea assimilata, refers, in fact, to Helocarpon crassipes (Czarnota 2004, 2007). In particular, these are the records by B. Stein from the top of Mt Sněžka and the Velký kotel glacial cirque. It was reported also from the Hrubý Jeseník Mts, from the localities Petrovy kameny and Studénkova hole (Vězda 1960). Recently, the species has been found in the Velká kotlina glacial cirque in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts (Palice, unpublished), Jizerské hory Mts and Krkonoše Mts, where is occurs quite frequently at the highest elevations. Historical reports on Lecidea assimilata f. infuscata from the Králický Sněžník Mts (Kovář 1911) need a revision.

Literature: Czarnota P. (2004): New and some rare species of the genus Micarea (Micareaceae) in the lichen flora of Poland. – Polish Botanical Journal 49: 135–143. Czarnota P. (2007): The lichen genus Micarea (Lecanorales) Ascomycota) in Poland. – Polish Botanical Studies 23: 1–199. Kovář F. (1911): Čtvrtý příspěvek ku květeně lišejníků moravských. – Věstník Klubu přírodovědného v Prostějově 13: 17–54. Vězda A. (1960): K lišejníkové flóře Hrubého Jeseníku. – Přírodovědný časopis slezský 21: 255−270.

Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → incertae sedis Lecanoromycetes → Helocarpaceae → Helocarpon