Ocellularia alborosella

Ocellularia alborosella

Ocellularia alborosella (Nylander) Santesson, 1952:308.

Graphis alborosella Nylander, 1863:372 [type-collection: Colombia, Lindig 2694 (H, lectotype; FH–Tuck, UPS, isotypes); Figure 9b].

Thelotrema platycarpellum Vainio, 1923:138 [type-collection: Arima, Trinidad, Thaxter 57 (TUR, lectotype); Figure 9a].

Ocellularia platycarpella (Vaino) Zahlbruckner, 1923:598.

Thallus whitish gray, thin but continuous, shiny, smooth, forming colonies 5–8 cm broad; apothecia chroodiscoid, up to 1.5 mm across, round to irregular, the marginal flap conspicuous, the disc flesh colored to white pruinose; hymenium about 60μ high; spores 8, 5–6 loculate, 4μ–5μ × 8μ–15μ, I–or weakly blue (Figure 5b).

CHEMISTRY.—No substances present.

HABITAT.—Tree trunks at mid or higher elevation in rain forest.

This was the first corticolous chroodiscoid species to be described. It is characterized by the small spores and lack of lichen substances. The Dominican collections have a wider disc than the type from Colombia but they fall within a predictable range of variation. It is a rare and easily overlooked species.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—8 (38143), 16b (37883), 26b (35371a).