Unlike other Rhizocarpon species, the prothallus of R. alpicola is not black but whitish to grey. Its thalli are up to 10 cm large. Apothecia are lecideine, slightly convex, with dark 1-septate spores. It often gives the impression of being underdeveloped with immature apothecia.
It is an arctic-alpine species and grows on siliceous boulder screes and hard rocks in mountains, in places with long-lasting snow cover. In the Czech Republic, it occurs in the border mountains: in the Hrubý Jeseník, Králický Sněžník, Krkonoše, Jizerské hory, Ještěd and Šumava Mts. In the highest parts of the Krkonoše Mts it locally forms the dominant of rocks and screes.
Literature: Černohorský Z. (1967): Die Verbreitung der Flechte Rhizocarpon alpicola (Hepp) Rabh. in der Tschechoslowakei. – Preslia 39: 365–374.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Rhizocarpales → Rhizocarpaceae → Rhizocarpon
Red List (Liška & Palice 2010):NT – near threatened
Red List (Malíček 2023):C3 – endangered
Occurrence in the Czech Republic
All records: 58, confirmed 35. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).