A lichen resembling the species Circinaria calcarea, but forming thicker thalli and significantly smaller ascospores of size 10–12.5 × 7–9.5 µm. It is the only member of the family Megasporaceae known to date to contain terpenoids and sometimes producing substances from the stictic acid complex, including norstictic acid (Roux et al. 2016, Paukov et al. 2019).
Lobothallia controversa is a calciphilous and light-loving species, likely to be more common in the Mediterranean and steppe regions of Central Asia, where most of the data so far come from (Roux et al. 2016, Paukov et al. 2019). In the Czech Republic, there are two unverified historical records, from Mikulov (Kovář 1908, as Aspicilia calcarea var. concreta f. farinosa) and from the Prokopské údolí valley in Prague (Servít 1911, as Lecanora farinosa). Recently, the lichen has been reported from the Český kras Karst. The content of terpenoids in this collected specimen was confirmed by TLC (Z. Palice, unpubl.).
Literature: Kovář F. (1908): Druhý příspěvek ku květeně lišejníků moravských. – Věstník Klubu přírodovědeckého v Prostějově 10: 19–42. Servít M. (1910): Zur Flechtenflora Böhmens und Mährens. – Hedwigia 50: 51–85. Roux C., Nordin A. & Bertrand M. (2016): Lobothallia controversa Cl. Roux & A. Nordin sp. nov., correspondant au Lecanora farinosa sensu Nyl. non (Flörke) Nyl. – Herzogia 29: 586–595. Paukov A. G. et al. (2019): Three new species, new combinations and a key to known species of Lobothallia (Megasporaceae). – Lichenologist 51: 301–322.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Pertusariales → Megasporaceae → Lobothallia
most frequented synonyms:Aspicilia farinosa, Lecanora farinosaAll records: 0, confirmed 0. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).