Lecidea sudetica Körb.

An insufficiently known member of the genus Lecidea s. str. and a transitional type between the complexes of L. lapicida and L. atrobrunnea, closer to the first-mentioned group. Its thallus contains norstictic acid and medulla is amyloid (Hertel 1995). To paraphrase loosely the original description (Körber 1855), this species forms a thick thallus made of convex, not always separated areoles of greyish red-brown colour on black prothallus. However, Hertel (1995) added into the synonymy of L. sudetica another taxon described by Körber, L. alboflava (from the Malá sněžná jáma corrie in the Polish Krkonoše Mts) with a light-coloured thallus (Körber 1865). From the*L. lactea* or L. lapicida complex, L. sudetica differs mainly in a few µm thick, colourless amorphous epinecral layer on the thallus surface, whereas in taxa from the L. atrobrunnea agg. this layer reaches several tens of µm (Hertel 1995).

Lecidea sudetica was first described from a boulder on Mt Sněžka (Körber 1855). Besides the Krkonoše Mountains, it has been also reported from the Alps, Carpathians, Finland and Karelia (Hertel 2006). However, it is a poorly understood, currently usually unrecognized taxon in the Czech Republic.

Literatura: Körber G. W. (1855): Systema Lichenum Germaniae. Die Flechten Deutschlands (insbesondere Schlesiens), mikroskopisch geprüft, kritisch gesichtet, charakteristisch beschrieben und systematisch geordnet. – Trewendt & Granier, Breslau. Körber G.W. (1865): Parerga Lichenologica: Ergänzungen zum Systema lichenum Germaniae. – E. Trewendt, Breslau. Hertel H. (1995): Schlüssel für die Arten der Flechtenfamilie Lecideaceae in Europa. – Bibliotheca Lichenologica 58: 137–180. Hertel H. (2006): World distribution of species of Lecidea (Lecanorales) occurring in Central Europe. – In: Lackovičová A., Guttová A., Lisická E. & Lizoň P. [eds], Central European lichens – diversity and threat, p. 19–73, Mycotaxon Ltd., Ithaca.

Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Lecideaceae → Lecidea