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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: Moist hardwood forests and swamps

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Description

Whitish to creamy, ecorticate thallus with black perithecia showing beneath a variably thin layer of thallus; oval perithecia appear to lie on their sides, with round ostioles at one end; perithecia are frequently eaten (by mollusks?), leaving hollow pit with black perithecial wall at bottom; Microscopy: spores muriform; Chemistry: thallus UV+ yellow (lichexanthone); FIELD ID possible with careful observation: scrape thallus with a fingernail to detect yellowish sign of Trentepohlia photobiont, note oblong perithecia, & conduct field UV test (dissection recommended to observe spores)

Similar Species

Dictyomeridium amylosporum is identical, but is UV-; Robergea pupula is whitish, ecorticate, & has oblong perithecia, but its ostioles are slits, looking like tiny mouths; it is UV-, & has no photobiont (i.e., is not lichenized); see key below

Related Rare Species

Dictyomeridium amylosporum

Habitat

Moist hardwood forests & swamps, on hardwood bark

Life History

Corticolous crustose lichenized fungus, photobiont an alga in Trentepohlia

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide in lowlands (not on Cumberland Plateau or in Southern Blue Ridge)

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Rare, considering the number of occurrences in an abundant habitat type

Conservation Management Recommendations

None

References

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.

Harris, R. C. 1995. More Florida lichens including the 10-cent tour of the pyrenolichens. Unpublished manuscript, Bronx, N.Y.

Ingle, K. K., S. Trivedi, S. Nayaka & D. K. Upreti. 2017. The lichen genera Dictyomeridium and Polymeridium (Trypetheliales: Trypetheliaceae) in India. Taiwania 62: 50-54.

Authors of Account

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

26 July 2022