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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:

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Mesic hardwood forests and swamps

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Description

Pale blue-green thallus of tangled, slightly glossy filaments, often visible as a small mat, sometimes dark (almost black, perhaps when dry); MICROSCOPY: green-blue filaments of photobiont entirely encased in fungal sheath; FIELD ID: requires careful study, possible dissection & examination by specialist

Similar Species

Cyphellostereum georgianum is a recently described basidiomycete lichen that is superficially similar; this is an under-studied group

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Mesic hardwood forests & swamps, mostly on hardwood bark (Quercus, Acer, Nyssa); 1 record from Juniperus

Life History

Corticolous filamentous lichenized basidiomycete fungus, photobiont a cyanobacterium in Scytonema

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Coastal Plain

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Rare, though almost certainly overlooked

Conservation Management Recommendations

None

References

Brodo, I. M. 2001. Lichens of North America. 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

26 July 2022