Description

 Life habit: lichenicolous; Thallus: little or none, without asexual propagules; Apothecia: adnate, 0.3-0.7(-1) mm in diam., lecanorine; disc: red or orange or brown, flat, epruinose; margin: persistent, flush; thalline margin present, concolorous with thallus; proper margin not visible; parathecium: cellular (paraplectenchymatous); exciple below hypothecium prosoplectenchymatous; epihymenium: golden, K+ red, H-, 10%N-, cN-, C-; hymenium: hyaline, 70-85 µm tall; paraphyses: 1-2 tip cells slightly swollen, with some branching; subhymenium hyaline; asci: cylindrical, 8-spored; ascospores: hyaline, 2 locules, ellipsoid, 11-14 x 5.5-7 µm, isthmus 3-4 µm, spore end wall thin; Pycnidia: not observed; Spot tests: apothecial margin K-, H-, 10% N-, red brown to violet, C-; thallus K-, H-, 10%N-, cN-, C-; Secondary metabolites: unidentified anthraquinones.; Substrate and ecology: on Candelariella over non-calcareous rock; World distribution: Europe and North America; Sonoran distribution: central Arizona.; Notes: Caloplaca grimmiae is found only on Candelariella and has a distinctly brown to dark brown apothecial margin. It is very close to Caloplaca congrediens. The main difference is that the latter species has more thallus and is not parasitic. Caloplaca epithallina also is similar but it has a reddish margin (K+ red) and grows on many different lichens.