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Federal Protection: No US federal protection

State Protection: No Georgia state protection

Global Rank: G5?

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: Mostly maritime forest, mesic hardwood forests and swamps

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Description

Crowded pale-green lobes tightly adhering to substrate, dividing to fill all space as lichen grows out, 1-2 mm wide (up to 4 mm); flat blue-purple to almost black disks with green rims confined to older parts of thallus; no rhizines on black underside; microscopy: spores 5-8 µm wide; CHEMISTRY: medulla UV+ blue-white (sekikaic acid); FIELD ID: best left at genus without extensive experience or direct comparison with lookalike; requires in-lab measurements & dissection

Similar Species

Dirinaria confluens is essentially a smaller version of this species, with smaller disks, lobes 0.5-1(-2) mm wide near tips, often broader spores, (5-)7-10 µm wide; D. purpurascens has a small thallus, narrow lobes, & reddish-purple disks, though pruina is sometimes confined to outer edge of disk

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Mostly maritime forest, mesic hardwood forests & swamps; substrates: 77% hardwood bark (half oaks), 10% conifer bark, 10% silicious rock; 1 record on calcareous rock

Life History

Mostly corticolous lichenized fungus, photobiont a green alga (Trebouxia?)

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Mostly Coastal Plain, with a few records from the Piedmont

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Uncommon to fairly common

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

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

27 July 2022