General:
Common Name: The Stipplescale Lichens. Suggested by the typical scalelike appearance and by the presence of dot-like perithecia over upper surface. Minute to small stratified squamulose or occasionally fruticose lichens, corticate above, corticate or not below, lacking soredia and isidia, squamules/lobes tightly appressed to erect, brownish, rotund to elongate, averaging to 0.5–7 mm wide. Lower surface (when visible) brown or black, lacking rhizines, attached to substrate by noncorticate rhizoids. Medulla white. Photobiont green.
Ascocarp a perithecium immersed in upper surface, appearing blackish or brownish from above; spores multicelled (muriform), ellipsoid, brown, 2 per ascus. Algal cells included with spores in perithecium.
Over base-rich soil or rock.
Notes: Endocarpon is mainly a temperate genus of approximately 30 species. Eight of these are reported for North America, though only two are known to occur in B.C. Chemistry is of no diagnostic value in this genus and is omitted in the following species accounts. For points of distinction with similar species in other genera, see the descriptions under Catapyrenium.

Species description:
Over soil; thallus almost crustose, consisting of appressed squamules

Comments:
Much of the B.C. material has a dark lower surface and therefore belongs in var. pusillum, though var. pallidum (Ach.) Körber, with a pale lower surface, is also reported to occur (Henssen 1963d). The latter taxon is also sometimes treated as a distinct species, E. pallidum Ach.

Source:  Lichens of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration By:  Trevor Goward