A small, inconspicuous pyrenocarpous lichen that can easily be overlooked in the field, partly due to its superficial similarity to the common species Anisomeridium polypori. It has traditionally been distinguished from the related S. affinis by the size of perithecia, ascospores, pycnidia, and macroconidia (Roux et al. 2004). However, this separation appears to be problematic, and intermediate forms may occur in practice (Vondrák et al. 2022).
It grows epiphytically on various tree species and, more rarely, on calcareous rocks. It prefers shaded habitats and may also occur in anthropogenic sites (Roux et al. 2004). The species has a subatlantic–Mediterranean distribution. In the Czech Republic, S. jamesii has been known only for a relatively short time, from lowland forests in the Moravian Karst, the Křivoklát region, and Obora Hvězda in Prague. Data from forest plots in the Czech Republic obtained using environmental DNA also suggest that it may be an overlooked species of lower elevations (Vondrák et al. 2024).
Literature: Roux C., Sérusiaux E., Bricaud O. & Coppins B. (2004): Le genre Strigula (lichens) en Europe et en Macaronésie. – Bibliotheca Lichenologica, 90: 1–96. Vondrák J. et al. (2022): From Cinderella to Princess: an exceptional hotspot of lichen diversity in a long-inhabited central-European landscape. – Preslia 94: 143–181. Vondrák J. et al. (2024): Combining environmental DNA data and taxonomic surveys provides an unprecedented understanding of lichen diversity and accelerates the discovery of new species. – Preslia 96: 351–417.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Dothideomycetes → Strigulales → Strigulaceae → Strigula
All records: 16, confirmed 16. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).