Pyxine copelandii

Pyxine copelandii is a foliose lichen with a thin, glaucous to pale- or whitish-glaucous thallus that is usually shiny. The thallus bears rounded, thinly farinose (powdery and flour-like) soredia that are usually scattered across the thallus surface. With potassium hydroxide solution (the K test), the upper surface turns slightly yellow; the medulla turns slightly yellow then red (K+ yellow → red). Lobes are 0.3–0.7 mm wide, irregular, often radiating and contiguous, and are plane and smooth. The underside is darkened, and the rhizines are very short and blackish. Apothecia were not observed in the original material.^[2]

Vainio noted that specimens can resemble P. sorediata, which shows pruina towards the thallus margin and has a medulla that is white to faintly yellow and K− or only faintly coloured; in contrast, P. copelandii has a K+ medulla (yellow → red). It differs from P. chrysanthoides, which has a K− thallus and a yellow medulla. It also differs from P. asiatica, which has a rugulose (wrinkled) thallus and a different medullary K-reaction; P. copelandii is smooth.^[2]

Vainio described the species from the island of Panay, Philippines, based on material collected in Capiz. The type is specimen "Copeland 38 p.p.", gathered on the bark of broad-leaved trees.^[2] Pyxine copelandii is one of 14 Pyxine species that have been recorded from the Philippines,^[6] and one of nine in the genus that was first described from specimens collected in the country.^[7] It has also been recorded from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji,^[8] Madagascar,^[9] Thailand,^[10] the Onotoa atoll in the Gilbert Islands,^[11] and the Seychelles.^[12]