On Rhus species (lemonade berry or sugar bush)
location approximate
On a tree
Found on boulder, collected a portion. Squamulose thallus, about 1-1.5 mm squamules, with rare black apothecia about 1 mm in diameter. The apothecia appear to be lecideine and have a bluish-black epithecium and hymenium with eight, small, simple hyaline spores per ascus measuring about 8x3 microns. K negative. Looks grossly like Psora, but K reaction and hymenium/epithecium color seem odd for that genus? This is very likely the same species as this one collected nearby on the same date:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/178471241
Yellow crust growing on boulder, lecanorine apothecia measuring up to about 0.8 mm in diameter, hymenium about 120-150 microns thick. Spores hyaline, aseptate, elliptical, about 15-18 x 5 microns. Number of spores per ascus appeared to be variable and ranged from 2 to 8 or 16. Apothecial cross section completely K negative under compound scope.
On rock, a conspicuous black prothallus , collected a portion. Possibly a mixed collection? Majority of thallus areolate, 1-mm dark areoles with extensive pruina (?) esp. along cracks and edges, as well as thicker white areoles. Occasional lecanorine black apothecia with white rims, 0.5-1.0 mm. Sections through both thalli show a thin upper cortex and thick photobiont layer, cortex of dark thallus was K negative. Apothecia cross-sections show a bluish epihymenium (dissolved in C), hyaline hymenium about 200 microns thick, with large, oval, simple spores measuring 22-27 x 15 microns, 4-8 per ascus, C negative. Paraphyses tips appear moniliform.