Yang, J un & Jiang-Chun Wei. Endocarpon crystallinum, the new lichen species from semiarid deserts in China. Mycotaxon 106: 445-448. 2008.

ABSTRACT: The new lichen species Endocarpon crystallinum was collected from semiarid deserts in China and is described in the present paper. Research on the morphology, anatomy, and chemistry of the species has been carried out. The species is unique in the genus by the thick upper cortex that is broken into columnar polygonal elements. A similar cortex structure is however known from a few, unrelated, other desert lichens and appears to be an adaptation to that climate.

KEYWORDS: Ascomycota, cortex structure, Verrucariaceae