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Federal Protection: No US federal protection

State Protection: No Georgia state protection

Global Rank: GNR

State Rank: SNR

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: None

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Rock outcrops, massive boulders, favoring vertical faces

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Description

Small foliose lichen forming adnate rosettes with crowded, convex lobes about 1 mm wide; outer lobes with blackened edges, pale yellow-green-gray when dry; mounded pale soralia becoming crowded toward center of thallus, where lobe color darkens; CHEMISTRY: medulla KC+ pink, PD+ red (protocetraric acid); FIELD ID possible with experience; look for narrow, adnate lobes on small circular rosettes, contrast between fresh lobes & darker older ones, & mounded soralia

Similar Species

Small specimens of Xanthoparmelia can appear similar, though none in our area are sorediate

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Rock outcrops, massive boulders, favoring vertical faces; on silicious rock (sandstone, granite, indurated kaolin)

Life History

Saxicolous foliose lichenized fungus, photobiont a species of green alga (Trebouxia?)

Survey Recommendations

Search additional rock outcrops in Ridge & Valley, Cumberland Plateau

Range

Cumberland Plateau, Ridge & Valley, Piedmont, & just across Fall Line in northern Coastal Plain

Threats

Quarrying, utility corridor maintenance, recreational rock climbing

Georgia Conservation Status

Rare, local

Conservation Management Recommendations

2 Ga. occurrences are on unprotected lands in powerline corridors; broadcast spraying of herbicides to maintain corridors could eliminate these

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

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

15 July 2022