Lepraria achariana
Lepraria achariana
Lepraria achariana is a small, powdery lichen in the family Stereocaulaceae. It grows high in Bolivia, in the Andes, on rocks and on mosses growing on soil.
Taxonomy and discovery
- This species was described as new to science in 2007 by lichenologists Adam Flakus and Martin Kukwa.
- The holotype was collected in Bolivia’s La Paz Department, Manco Kapac Province, on Mount Horca del Inca near Copacabana, at about 3,974 meters above sea level. The specimen was found in a high Andean puna area and is kept in the KRAM-L herbarium.
Description
- Lepraria achariana forms a crusty, powdery thallus that never develops fruiting bodies.
- The edge is diffuse, and the thallus lacks lobes. It often has a loose, cottony base (hypothallus) that is white or has orange patches.
- Reproduction occurs through numerous fine powdery granules called soredia, which can cluster into larger groups (consoredia).
- Chemically, it contains lecanoric acid and roccellic/angardianic acids, and it may also have 2–4 unknown anthraquinone compounds.
- In common lichen spot tests, it is typically negative for K, may show a purple reaction on the underside, is C+ red, KC+ red, and Pd−.
Habitat and distribution
- This lichen grows on humus, on mosses that live on soil, and on rocks.
- It has been found in open areas of high Andean puna grassland and in upper montane cloud forest.
- Lepraria achariana is known only from Bolivia.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 20:52 (CET).