Rhizocarpon copelandii is one of the species with spores that turn brown soon. The areolate thalli are from creamy white to grey and dark brown. It is easily recognized by the combination of dark 1-septate spores and the content of norstictic acid (K+ slowly carmine red). However, there are also forms with stictic acid (K+ yellow), which is also present in other morphologically similar species. The forms with pale coloured thalli and norstictic acid are distinguished from R. cinereovirens by brown and larger spores (Fletcher et al. 2019).
The species has an arctic-alpine distribution and usually grows on exposed siliceous rocks above the upper tree line. In the Czech Republic, there are only historical records from a few localities in the highest parts of the Krkonoše Mts.
Literature: Fletcher A., Gilbert O. L., Clayden S. & Fryday A. M. (2009): Rhizocarpon Ramond ex DC. (1805). – In: Smith C. W., Aptroot A., Coppins B. J., Fletcher A., Gilbert O. L., James P. W. & Wolseley P. A., The Lichens of Great Britain and Ireland, p. 792–808, The British Lichen Society, London. Nimis P. L., Hafellner J., Roux C., Clerc P., Mayrhofer H., Martellos S. & Bilovitz P. O. (2018): The lichens of the Alps – an annotated checklist. – Mycokeys 31: 1–634.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Rhizocarpales → Rhizocarpaceae → Rhizocarpon
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