Good characters to look for in this genus are whether or not it has apothecia, where the apothecia are positioned, and whether or not the thallus branches are flat or cylindrical. Another thing to look for in Niebla is presence of absence of chondroid strands: if you pull apart a big thallus branch, they'll look a bit like celery. This one has flattened branches, so it's either N. homalea or N. laevigata. We think it's N. homalea because the apothecia that are both marginal and terminal.
sea-kangaroo
2009-10-21
2009-10-21
United States of America, California, Point Lobos State Park, California, USA