A predominantly epiphytic species, separated from P. saxatilis quite recently. The lichen is widespread in Europe and known also from northern Africa. It grows mainly on bark of deciduous trees, less often also on conifers and rarely even on wood and rocks. The species is hard to distinguish from other members of the group around P. saxatilis, by some authors it is even considered cryptic, identifiable only by the DNA (e.g. Corsie et al. 2019). Morphologically, P. ernstiae is characterized by pruinose lobes and often flattened, thick isidia; chemically by the obligatory presence of lobaric acid and fatty acids. In the Czech Republic, it is the most common member of the P. saxatilis agg. It tolerates shaded habitats and therefore is often abundant, for example, in beech forests. Records presented in this Atlas are mostly verified by DNA or TLC. According to preliminary data, P. ernstiae seems to be well distinguishable from the similar P. saxatilis and P. serrana in the Czech Republic by its secondary metabolites and the verification by DNA is not essential.
Literature: Corsie E., Harrold P. & Yahr R. (2019): No combination of morphological, ecological or chemical characters can reliably diagnose species in the Parmelia saxatilis aggregate in Scotland. – Lichenologist 51: 107–121.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Parmeliaceae → Parmelia
All records: 116, confirmed 116. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).