In a new paper that came out today we report the cyanomorph of Ricasolia virens, and how this may shape our understanding of the evolution of photosymbiodemes in the Lobariaceae.
Tønsberg T., H. Blom, B. Goffinet, J. Holtan-Hartwig & L. Lindblom. 2016. The cyanomorph of Ricasolia virens comb. nov. (Lobariaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes). Opuscula Philolichenum 15: 12–21. The pdf should be available here.
The abstract reads: The cyanomorph and photosymbiodemes are here reported for the first time for Ricasolia virens (With.) H.H. Blom & Tønsberg comb. nov. (≡ Lobaria virens (With.) J.R. Laundon). The cyanomorph of R. virens is dendriscocauloid. The observed early developmental stages involve (1) a free-living cyanomorph and (2) a photosymbiodeme composed of the cyanomorph supporting small, foliose, chloromorphic lobes. Whereas the chloromorph continues to grow, the cyanomorph decays and disappears leading to the final stage (3), the free-living chloromorph. Secondary cyanomorphs emerging from the chloromorph are not known.