An inconspicuous genus member. It has immersed thallus and dark-brown to black apothecia up to 0.2 mm in diameter that produce simple or, less often, one-septate ascospores 7–10 × 3–4 µm in size. Coppins (2008) mentions also the presence of the „sedifolia-grey“ pigment in the thallus, pycinidial wall and less concentrated in hymenia as well. The species may be distinguished from the common M. misella that lacks stalked pycnidia by the clearly delimited epihymenium with in KOH soluble brown pigment „elachista-brown“. The only other Czech lichen forming the same pigment is M. elachista, which differs habitually and microscopically.
Micarea perparvula has been found only in a few European countries and in the North America so far. It grows on wood of coniferous and deciduous trees. It is probably a rather rare and at the same time overlooked lichen. In the Czech Republic, it has been reliably reported from the Brdy Hills, but there are also other collected specimens that most likely belong to this species.
Literature: Printzen C. (1995): Die Flechtegattung Biatora in Europa. – Bibliotheca Lichenologica 60: 1–275. Coppins B. J. (2008): Micarea perparvula in North America. – Opuscula Philolichenum 5: 23–24.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Pilocarpaceae → Micarea
Red List (Malíček 2023):DD – data deficient
Occurrence in the Czech Republic
All records: 2, confirmed 2. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).