Sclerophora pallida

About

Sclerophora pallida is a crustose lichen species in the family Coniocybaceae. First described by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1794, it has undergone numerous taxonomic revisions before receiving its current scientific name in 1999. The species is characterised by its bark-immersed thallus and distinctive stalked, pin-like fruiting bodies that grow to 0.4–0.7 mm tall with pale yellow stalks that turn grey with age. These structures produce a mazaedium containing spherical, warty ascospores measuring 7–8 micrometres in diameter. Though considered the most common member of its genus, S. pallida remains rare and is listed as threatened throughout much of its range. It primarily grows on the bark of old deciduous trees, particularly elm, ash and oak, and is widely distributed across Europe, with occurrences also documented in Siberia, North America and Japan.

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