Micarea stipitata Coppins & P. James

      Thallus crustose, rough and irregular, more or less bordered or fissured, gray-greenish, greenish if humid, dirty grayish a little glaucous or bluish if dry. Apothecia sessile, strongly convex to coarsely globose, proper margin absent, 0.1-0.3 mm in diameter, dirty whitish. Spores colorless, acicular and serpentiform by their sinuous shape and a slightly enlarged end, 3-7 times septate, 21-34 x 2-3 µm according to the literature; 5-6-7 times septed, 24-35 (40) x 2-2.5 µm according to our measurements. Pycnidia numerous scattered over the whole thallus but sometimes in groups in certain areas, globose-ovoid at the top of a short stipe, whitish. Bacilliform pycnidiospores, 6-8 x 1-2 µm. Branched paraphyses, 1-1.5 µm wide. Thallus; C-, K-, KC-, P-. Rare species occurring on tree bark (especially Ilex) in oceanic forests and woods. N.B. Very similar to Micarea pycnidiophora which differs from (very difficult!) by its C +/- red reaction of the thallus and pycnidia. Scoliciosporum pruinosum is also very similar both macroscopically and microscopically, but the latter species has pruinose apothecia and no pycnidia.