Lepraria goughensis is a little-known species of leprose lichen in the family Stereocaulaceae. It is only known to occur on Gough Island in the south Atlantic Ocean.
Lepraria goughensis was described by the lichenologists John Elix and Dag ÃÂvstedal in 2005. The type specimen was collected on Seal Beach. The species epithet refers to Gough Island, part of the Tristan da Cunha group of islands in the south Atlantic.
Lepraria goughensis forms a leprose, powdery, greyish-green thallus. The margin is delimited, with usually poorly defined present. The overall shape is that of a rosette, generally measuring 1âÂÂ4 cm wide. The medulla and are both absent. The soredia are abundant and very fine, measuring 20âÂÂ26 micrometres in diameter, with numerous projecting hyphae present. The species contains lecanoric acid, with minor to trace amounts of gyrophoric acid and strepsilin, and trace amounts of fragilin, 7-chloroemodin, and flavo-obscurin C. Spot tests show KâÂÂ, C+ (red), KC+ (red), and PdâÂÂ. Its combination of secondary metabolites is unique in the genus Lepraria.
This species grows on mosses and plant litter, as well as peat. It occurs in shady, humid places and is known only from Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean.