Flavoplaca ora (Poelt & Nimis) Arup, Fröden & Sochting
= Caloplaca ora Poelt & Nimis
Caloplaca ora Poelt & Nimis
Thallus crustose, tightly attached to the substratum, rosette shaped or mosaic forming through adjacent colonies, rugose, cracked to areolate, notably towards the center that may be severely cracked and bare, prothallus hardly visible, radiating minute lobes at margin especially in case of regular rosettes, overall color from golden yellow to bright orange. Apothecia numerous, notably towards thallus center, sessile, 0.5-1.5 mm diam., disc flat, orange, exciple rather thick, paler. Ascospores ellipsoid, polarilocular, 11-14 x 5-6 µm, septum to 4-5 µm according to the literature. Photobiont: green algae, excluded Trentepohlia. Thallus and apothecia: K+ purple. Mediterranean, saxicolous, on acid rocks in supralittoral zone.
N.B. Very similar to Flavoplaca marina of Atlantic coasts and sometimes synonymised. The current trend, subjected to further reasearch, is to retain species level.