| TAXON: | Tephromela atra (Huds.) Hafellner (1983) |
| RECENT SYNONYMS: | Tephromela atra var. atra auct.; Tephromela atra var. torulosa (Flörke) Hafellner (1992) |
| FAMILY: | Tephromelataceae |
| GROWTH FORM: | Crustose, heteromerous |
| SUBSTRATES: | Siliceous and slightly calcareous rocks, worked stone, brick, rarely trees or timber (T. atra var. atra); bark, especially branches of broadleaf trees (T. atra var. torulosa) |
| PHOTOBIONT: | Chlorococcoid alga |
| REPRODUCTION: | Apothecia, pycnidia |
| ASCUS: | Clavate; apex Bacidia-type; 8 spores |
| SPORES: | Ascospores ellipsoidal, simple, 10-15 × 5-8 µm; conidia thread-like, 12-21(-24) × ~1 µm |
| NOTABLE FEATURES: | Thallus white or grey-white, thick, cracked, spreading; apothecia lecanorine, generally abundant and sometimes crowded; disc black, showing purple-brown interior when sectioned in field |
| CHEMICAL TESTS: | Cortex K+ yellow, KC+ yellow, UV+ white (atranorin, ɑ-collatolic acid, ±alectoronic acid) |
| HABITAT: | Wherever suitable substrate exists, including urban areas |
| DISTRIBUTION: | Widespread and common in Britain (T. atra var. atra); very rare in northern Scotland only (T. atra var. torulosa) |
| CONSERVATION STATUS: | Least Concern |
| LICHENICOLOUS FUNGI: | Minutoexcipula tephromelae, Muellerella lichenicola, M. pygmaea, Sclerococcum tephromelarum, Skyttea elachistophora, Taeniolella sp. |
| IDENTIFICATION DIFFICULTY: | Green 1: Field identification possible |
| CONFUSION SPECIES: | Lecanora gangaleoides |
FIELD NOTES
To be added.
LAB NOTES
Tephromela atra can be identified without microscopy.
SPECIMENS
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR7372 : August 2024 : On siliceous boulder : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : England : VC28 West Norfolk : TF8842 : October 2023 : On clay-brick wall : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR8868 : August 2023 : On siliceous boulder : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR7372 : August 2023 : On siliceous boulder : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC98 Argyll : NR7993 : August 2023 : On siliceous outcrop : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR7074 : August 2023 : On siliceous outcrop : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR7372 : August 2022 : On siliceous boulder : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
Tephromela atra var. atra : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR6974 : July 2022 : On siliceous outcrops : © Anthony Speca : CC BY-SA 4.0
