About Acarospora strigata (Nyl.) Jatta
Acarospora strigata is a crustose lichen that ranges in growth form from areolate to verruculous. It grows on rock worldwide, thriving in both full sun and shade, and in habitats from mesic to arid. The lichen itself is brown, but can appear white or pale gray when covered in pruina. It is a common species in the southwestern deserts of North America. Both the areoles, which range from very small to 3 mm across, and the dark reddish-brown to black apothecia (fruiting bodies) they surround are highly variable in shape and size, and also vary in size relative to one another. The apothecia measure 0.1–1 mm across, and range in appearance from small dots sitting on the areoles to almost as wide as the entire areole. Their shape can be pointlike, round, polygonal, or form stellate radiating fissures, and there can be one to many apothecia per areole. Areole surfaces may be cracked, especially in areas near the apothecia. All lichen spot tests for Acarospora strigata return negative results.
