Lecidea huxariensis (Beckh. ex J. Lahm) Zahlbr.

An inconspicuous pioneer species producing very small, typically only about a tenth of a millimetre in size, usually black apothecia on a completely immersed thallus. The species is well recognizable microscopically due to the production of more than eight (usually 12–16) ascospores per ascus. Lecidea huxariensis is specialized for hard, sunlit wood of conifers. Most commonly it is found on worked timber of fences, posts or other structures in open landscape. In such habitats, it can be very abundant, as evidenced by exsiccates (Suza 1927, Farkas 2011). In natural communities, it is probably a forest species, growing on hard, slowly decaying, debarked standing wood of snags or roots in exposed sunlit locations. It has even been collected as a pioneer on a thin twig of a pine tree in peat bog. In the Czech Republic, this lichen used to be reported especially in the first half of the 20th century by J. Suza, who discovered it as a species new to several European countries. Since 2007, this lichen has started to be found again in the Czech Republic (Malíček & Palice 2013). Elsewhere in Europe, the species is collected sporadically and sometimes considered rare (Nimis et al. 2018). In addition to its small size, it tends to be overlooked because of its indistinct thallus, or because it may resemble some non-lichenized fungi.

Literature: Suza J. (1927): Lichenes Bohemoslovakiae exsiccati. Fasciculus II. Decades 4–6. – Brno. Farkas E. (2011): Notes and schedae to Lichenes Delicati Exsiccati Editae in memoriam Antonín Vězda (1920–2008), Fasc. 2. – Acta Botanica Hungarica 53: 101–109. Malíček J. & Palice Z. (2013): Lichens of the virgin forest reserve Žofínský prales (Czech Republic) and surrounding woodlands. – Herzogia 26: 253–292. Nimis P.L., Hafellner J., Roux C., Clerc P., Mayrhofer H., Martellos S. & Bilovitz P.O. (2018): The lichens of the Alps – an annotated checklist. – Mycokeys 31: 1–634.

Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Lecideaceae → Lecidea