Mountain Bootstrap Lichen

Cornicularia is represented by a single species, Cornicularia normoerica, which forms neat, dark tufts that rarely exceed 2 cm in height. The lichen body (thallus) stands erect and is anchored so firmly that it must be cut or scraped away from rock or bark. Its main branches are narrow—about 0.3–0.6 mm across—stiff, and slightly flattened, with few side-branches. Each branch tapers abruptly near the tip and arises from a repeatedly dividing holdfast, giving the tuft a shrub-like outline. The surface is a glossy black-brown and is protected by an unusually thick outer skin (cortex) made of densely packed, parallel hyphae. Inside, the fungal partner shelters rounded green algal cells of the genus Trebouxia, which supply photosynthetic sugars. Reproduction in C. normoerica is mainly sexual: most branch tips carry black, shiny discs (apothecia) one to five millimetres wide. These discs may sprout a few short, rod-like extensions and gradually overtop the branch apex. Each spore sac (ascus) is club-shaped with a thickened tip and releases eight smooth, colourless ascospores measuring about 5–6 × 3–4 μm. Asexual propagules also occur: half-sunken, spherical pycnidia dot the branch ends and secrete thread-like conidia roughly 6.5–7.5 μm long. …

Cornicularia normoerica is a saxicolous (rock-dwelling) species, growing on high-elevation, sun-exposed rocks and boulders.