Lecidea Ach. Meth. Lich. XXX. 32. pl. 2. f. 1, 2. 1803.

Thallus smooth, roughened, or verrucose, in some species chinky to
areolate, or even subsquamulose, rarely rudimentary and evanescent;
apothecia minute to middle-sized, usually adnate, but rarely sessile or
immersed, with pale to black, and flat to strongly convex disk; exciple
and hypothecium from pale to dark brown in section; hymenium lighter,
most commonly pale; spores simple, hyaline, 8 in each ascus.


KEY TO THE SPECIES OF LECIDEA

Exciple soft, usually light colored.
Apothecia usually surrounded by a thalloid veil 1. L. _coarctata_
Apothecia not surrounded by a thalloid veil.
Exciple becoming covered.
Hypothecium pale or pale yellow.
Apothecia always minute.
Spores 5 to 7 mic. long 2. L. _intropallida_
Spores 7 to 15 mic. long 3. L. _varians_
Apothecia reaching middle size 4. L. _rupestris_
Hypothecium light-brown to dark brown.
Thallus gray-green or lighter 5. L. _viridescens_
Thallus darker from the first or becoming so.
Thallus minute and evanescent 6. L. _humicola_
Thallus well developed and persistent.
Thallus of raised granules 7. L. _uliginosa_
Thallus of flat granules 8. L. _sylvicola_