New Lichen for Ohio

Physciella melanchra was collected in Darke County during the Summer Foray. As far as can be determined this is the first record for Ohio of this species. It seemed fairly common, found growing on bark at Routzong Preserve, churchyard trees near Gettysburg, and on cemetery gravestones near Webster. Looking similar to Physciella chloantha, this species differs in having rounded to irregular laminal soralia in addition to some marginal soralia as seen in P. chloantha. However, none of the soralia are lip-shaped as found in P. chloantha. Physciella melanchra could easily be mistaken for Physcia orbicularis, a species of uncertain status in Ohio, but that species has a dark lower surface, while P. melanchra is white below. Voucher specimens have been deposited at OSU.

Don Flenniken
(published in OBELISK, Vol. 6, p. 3)