Anaptychia runcinata (With.) J. R. Laundon

    Thallus: foliose, spreading, ± forming large rosettes or as scattered fragments amongst or upon other lichens, up to 15 cm diam. weakly bonding to substratum, closely appressed throughout, rather thick; lobes 1-3 mm wide, elongate towards thallus margin, apices more or less palmate, intertwined and often overlapping towards the center, upper surface bright when moist, colour variable according to exposition and hydration, green, greenish, brown-greenish mostly when moist, see: Anaptychie runcinata forme verte, reddish-brown, dark brown a little chocolate in dry weather, see: Anaptychia runcinata forme brune, but sometimes for forms coming on damp rocks in the shade of livid gray-brownish coloration, see: Anaptychia runcinata forme de l'ombre. After a long dryness on well-lit and exposed rocks this species may display a rosette aspect, edges brown-red to dark brown towards the center, followed by fawn  and pale brown-grey towards the margin. Lower surface pale to dark brown-black, with simple brown to black scattered rhizines forming a ± thick weft. Apothecia cup-shaped, frequent, sometimes numerous, 1-3 mm diam., disc bright black-brown with smooth surface, with coarsely swollen and crenulate thalline exciple much paler. Spores ellipsoid with round apices,, surface uneven, brown-black, uni-septate, woolball shaped, 30-36 x 15-18 µm according to literature, 35-45 x 17-23 µm according to our measures. Photobiont: Trebouxia. K-, C + pale yellow, Pd-. Abundant on hard, coastal rocks, subjected to spray, occasionally sprinkle at extreme high tides, where it may built large colonies, also but uncommon on soil in the aerohaline zone, very rare on bark of ornmental trees, see: Anaptychia runcinata forme corticole ou au sol. Some forms are able to develop several kilometers inland on rock ridges in the Monts d'Arrée. In that case less fertile and almost always green. N.B. In dry and well-lit areas, specimen forming rosette, brown  with a whitish powdery ring may be found; they probably are subjected to the parasite Nectriella santessonii = Pronectria santessonii though this has not been demonstrated yet, in the absence of fully developed parasite.*