The rarest member of the O. androgyna agg., characterised by a thin thallus and gyrophoric acid as the main secondary metabolite. In the past, it used to be referred to as O. androgyna A (Tønsberg 1992). TLC is needed for its identification. The similar species O. androgyna and O. bahusiensis contain additional lichen substances that, if present at low concentrations or if contaminated by substrate extracts, may not be easy to detect. Ochrolechia mahluensis can be also mistaken for the epiphytic sorediate morphotypes of O. frigida (Tønsberg 1992).
This boreal-montane lichen prefers acidic bark of conifers or birches in mountain forests. Seldomly, it passes onto other deciduous trees and wood. Centre of its distribution is in northern Europe, whereas in the central part of the continent the species is rare (Kukwa 2011). In the Czech Republic, it has been reliably documented from the Šumava Mts, where it occurs mainly in natural mountain spruce forests.
Literature: Tønsberg T. (1992): The sorediate and isidiate, corticolous, crustose lichens in Norway. – Sommerfeltia 14: 1–331. Kukwa M. (2011): The lichen genus Ochrolechia in Europe. – Fundacja Rozwoju Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego, Gdańsk.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Pertusariales → Ochrolechiaceae → Ochrolechia
All records: 36, confirmed 35. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).