Lepraria granulata

The whitish grey to grey thallus of Lepraria granulata is crustose in form. It comprises tiny, loosely packed granules up to 0.3 mm in diameter, often without any hyphae projecting from them. The lichen is sterile, as neither ascomata nor conidiomata are produced. It contains atranorin, a common lichen product, some anthraquinones, as well as two unidentified fatty acids. The expected results of standard chemical spot tests are: thallus PD− or PD+ (faint yellowish), K+ (yellowish); the orange-brown hyphae present below the thallus are K+ (purple-red); while the other hyphae below the thallus are K−.^[1]

Lepraria granulata typically grows on moss, also it has been recorded on soil, in fissures between boulders, and over moss growing in these fissures. It has been documented at a few locations in Bulgaria at elevations ranging from 2,160 to 2,410 m (7,090 to 7,910 ft), and well as from Styria, Austria at 1,855 m (6,086 ft), from Krkonoše National Park in the Czech Republic at 1,359 m (4,459 ft),^[1] from Tatra National Park, Poland at 1,820 m (5,970 ft), and from Tatra National Park, Slovakia.^[2] Mosses often recorded growing with Lepraria granulata are Bartramia ithyphylla, Coscinodon cribrosus, Grimmia caespiticia, Dicranoweisia crispula, Grimmia cf. alpestris, G. sessitana, and Lescuraea incurvata. Lepraria borealis, L. elobata and L. neglecta are some commonly associating lichens.^[1][2]