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Federal Protection: No US federal protection

State Protection: No Georgia state protection

Global Rank: G3G5

State Rank: S3S4

Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: No

SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No

SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No

2025 SGCN Priority Tier:

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Woodlands, forests and swamps; also agricultural areas, residential areas, roadsides

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Description

Shrubby thallus of highly branched tufts usually 1-2 (up to 7) cm wide; branches 0.2-0.8 mm wide, orange (sun) to gray-green (shade), usually terete (sometimes slightly flattened), usually ending in yellow to orange tips; pale wart-like pseudocyphellae sometimes present; bright orange disks flat, with orange rims, 0.8-3 mm wide, lacking cilia, found near tips of branches; CHEMISTRY: thallus K+ purple; FIELD ID: unmistakable, with care to sort individuals with broader branches by absence of cilia on disk rims

Similar Species

Teloschistes chrysophthalmus has broad, strap-like branches below narrow tips, & orange-ciliate rims on disks

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Woodlands, forests & swamps; also agricultural areas, residential areas, roadsides; substrates: mostly hardwood bark: 25% Celtis, 18% Quercus & 50% on other hardwoods or unknowns; 2 records on Taxodium bark

Life History

Corticolous fruticose lichenized fungus, photobiont an alga in Trebouxia

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Mostly Coastal Plain, with a few records from the Piedmont

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Uncommon, found in both natural & polluted anthropogenic sites; much has been learned about this species since it was assigned the state rank of S1

Conservation Management Recommendations

None

References

Brodo, I. M. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.

Brodo, I. M. 2016. Keys to lichens of North America: revised and expanded. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.

Esslinger, T. L. 2021. A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. Version 24. Opuscula Philolichenum 20: 100-394.

Authors of Account

Linda G. Chafin, Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

Linda G. Chafin, 21 December 2019: original account; Malcolm Hodges, 2022