Marchandiomyces corallinus (Roberge) Diederich & Hawksw.

Lichenicolous basidiomycota.

    Anamorph of a lichenicolous basidiomycota visible on the parasited lichen thallus as minute coralloid sclerotia, to 0.1-0.2 mm across, hot pink to pink-orange. Rather common on foliose lichens: Physcia, Parmelia, Xanthoparmelia. N.B. This fungus is very aggressive and kills the parasited lichens, rapidly necrotric and destroyed. N.B. Some foliose lichens may turn to pink after being subjected to seaspray and then might mistakenly be identified as parasited lichens, but are devoid of the small pink excrescences that are the distinctive feature of the fungus. See Marchandiomyces aurantiacus less common and mostly found on Physcia and Illosporiopsis christiansenii also found on Physcia but  forming minute bright intense pink galls.*