Synonyms: Buellia liguriensis, Buellia olivaceofusca, Lecidea nitidula, Lecidea spuria.
Common name: Sunken Button Lichen.
Extract from Wikipedia article: Buellia spuria (disc lichen) is a white to light ashy gray crustose areolate lichen that grows on rocks (epilithic) in montane habitats. It has a black edge from the conspicuous, more or less continuous prothallus, which can also be seen in the cracks between the areolas forming a hypothallus, and in sharp contrast with the whitish or ashy colored areolas. It prefers mafic (siliceous) rock substrates. In Joshua Tree National Park is can be seen on vertical granite and gneiss faces in washes. It is common worldwide in the Northern Hemisphere. It is very common in the Sonoran Desert from southern California to Arizona, Baja California, and Sonora, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa, Mexico.
Buellia spuria is a crustose lichen species that grows on trees, rocks, and soil. In East and Central Texas, it typically forms small, rounded to irregular patches, up to 5 cm in diameter, with a grayish-white to pale brown thallus. The apothecia are numerous, immersed to slightly raised, and have a dark brown to black disc. It is commonly found on oak, elm, and cedar trees, as well as on limestone rocks and calcareous soils. The species prefers full sun to partial shade and is often associated with other lichens and mosses in woodland and grassland habitats.
Sunken button lichen (Buellia spuria, ashy grey with black dots) and Aspicilia (grey) crustose lichens in Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. Fredericksburg, Texas, December 25, 2018
Unnamed Road, Llano, TX 78643, USA
Sunken button lichen (Buellia spuria) on a marble tomb in Boonville Cemetery. Bryan, Texas, January 27, 20193504 Pioneer Cir, Bryan, TX 77808, USA
Sunken button lichen (Buellia spuria) and some folios lichen on sandstone at Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, February 26, 2023Lake Somerville Trailway, Lee County, Texas, United States
Sunken button lichen (Buellia spuria) on a sandstone rock at Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, February 26, 2023Lake Somerville Trailway, Lee County, Texas, United States
Sunken button lichen (Buellia spuria) and some folios lichen on rocks at Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, February 26, 2023Lake Somerville Trailway, Lee County, Texas, United States
Close-up of sunken button lichen (Buellia spuria) on rocks at Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, February 26, 2023Lake Somerville Trailway, Lee County, Texas, United StatesObservations of Buellia spuria in East and Central Texas reveal its presence on various substrates. The species was found on rocks at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, where it grew alongside Aspicilia crustose lichens. It also thrived on a marble tomb in Boonville Cemetery, Bryan, Texas. At Lake Somerville Trailway, Buellia spuria was observed on sandstone rocks and outcrops, often co-occurring with foliose lichens. The species displayed its characteristic ashy grey color with black dots. Multiple observations at Lake Somerville Trailway, including close-up examinations, confirmed the presence of Buellia spuria in this region. These findings suggest that Buellia spuria is widely distributed across East and Central Texas, colonizing a range of rock types and habitats. Its ability to grow on different substrates, including marble and sandstone, highlights its adaptability.
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