Caloplaca conranii

Caloplaca conranii is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Teloschistaceae. The lichen has a bright yellow thallus about 1–2 cm wide, featuring a thick texture with convex, -like formations around the edges and occasionally forming clusters in the centre. Its apothecia (fruiting bodies) are quite large and heavy, ranging from 0.4 to 1.5 mm in diameter, with a flat, dull orange or brownish-orange, and long, narrow.

Taxonomy
The lichen was first formally described in 2007 by lichenologists Sergey Kondratyuk and Ingvar Kärnefelt. The species is named after Cape Conran, a coastal locality in Victoria in southeastern Australia, where it was first discovered and collected by the second author.

Description
Caloplaca conranii forms a bright yellow thallus about 1–2 cm wide. The thallus is relatively thick, comprising very convex or -like formations measuring 0.2–0.4 mm wide, typically dispersed in the peripheral zone. In the centre, the thallus occasionally becomes, forming aggregations of 1–1.5 mm wide.

Apothecia are comparatively large, measuring 0.4–1.5 mm in diameter and 0.7–0.8 mm in height. They are relatively massive, up to 400 μm thick in section. Initially they mature into a  form. The is 40–50 (up to 80) μm thick, with a  similar to C. regalis/cribrosa  type and often, yellow or greenish-yellow in colour. The is flat, dull orange, or brownish-orange, and brownish-yellow. The is approximately 100–120 μm thick at the uppermost portion, tapering to about 50–60 μm thick at the basal and lower lateral portions. The hymenium is roughly 90–100 μm high. are long and narrow, measuring 11–15 by 5–7 μm with a septum of about 4–5 μm.

In terms of standard chemical spot tests, the thallus and apothecia react K+ (red), C−, and I−; the lichen contains parietin, a lichen product common in the family Teloschistaceae.

Similar species
Caloplaca conranii is distinguished from similar species such as C. marina and C. maritima by its thicker verrucose-papillose thallus, the absence of a, and the presence of scleroplectenchymatic tissue. It differs from C. litoralis of New Zealand by its orange to red-brown apothecia. Compared to the Arctic littoral species C. alcarum, it stands out with its bright yellow verruculose or pustulose thallus, scleroplectenchymatic tissue, and oil cells in the paraphyses. Lastly, Caloplaca conranii is distinguishable from the Northern Hemisphere C. lithophila due to its well-developed thallus and preference for nitrate-enriched habitats.

Habitat and distribution
Caloplaca conranii is found on schist and granite rocks along the foreshore, often in association with Elixjohnia gallowayi, Tarasginia whinrayi, and other crustose lichens. At the time of its original publication, Caloplaca conranii was known to inhabit areas in South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania.