General:
Common Name: The Ruby Lichens. Reflects the colour of the apothecia.
Minute stratified squamulose lichens, corticate above and below, lacking soredia and isidia, scales attached to substrate by wefts of hyphae, rather loosely appressed, rotund, entire thallus averaging to 1–5 mm wide, somewhat thick. Upper surface dark olive-brown, rough. Lower surface lacking rhizines. Medulla white, uneven, cellular. Photobiont blue-green, arranged in vertical columns.
Apothecia somewhat immersed in upper surface, disc reddish brown; spores simple, spindle-shaped, colourless, 8 per ascus.
Over base-rich soil.
Notes: Heppia is primarily a genus of dry, desert regions. Only one species is reported for North America.

Comments:
Some (reduced) forms of H. lutosa are superficially similar to members of the Collema tenax group (e.g., C. coccophorum, C. tenax var. corallinum), but in those species the spores are septate, not nonseptate as in H. lutosa.

Reactions:
All spot tests negative, except hymenium I+ wine-red.

Contents:
No lichen substances reported.

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

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Heppia despreauxii (Mont.) Tuck.
Heppia virescens (Despr.) Nyl.
Solorinaria despreauxii (Mont.) Fink