Genus Phaeophyscia encompasses a variety of lichen species, characterised by their leaf-like (foliose) structure that often extends in lobes, which can either be short or elongate and tend to lie flat against the substrate, resembling a loosely shrubby form in some instances. These lobes are typically less than 1.5 mm wide and have a range of colours from pale grey or greenish grey to dark brown, becoming dark green when moistened. The surface of these lichens is matte, not covered in a powdery coating (epruinose), and usually lacks spots (maculae) or fringe-like projections (cilia) along the edges. The underside is typically whitish or more commonly black, with matching, simple roots (rhizines) that may extend beyond the lobe tips, giving an appearance similar to cilia.[4]Internally, the Phaeophyscia lichen has a brown upper layer (epithecium), with colourless internal layers (hymenium and hypothecium). The supporting filamentous structures (hamathecium) consist of slender, often branching paraphyses with club-shaped tips that are pale brown with a thin dark brown top. The spore-producing structures (asci) are approximately cylindrical to club-shaped, containing eight spores of the Lecanora-type. The spores themselves are brown, thick-walled, and divided by a single cross-wall (1-septate), resembling those found in the genus Physcia.[4]
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