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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 isolated swamp forests

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Description

Pale green to whitish cottony thallus with white fibrous prothallus; white to yellowish isidia concentrated at center of thallus; CHEMISTRY: thallus K-, PD+ yellow (psoromic acid); FIELD ID possible with experience, but best told from Cryptothecia striata with lab chemical tests

Similar Species

Pale specimens of Herpothallon rubroechinatum have at least some pale orange pigment in margins and isidia that react K+ purple; Cryptothecia striata has a thicker thallus that reacts PD-, K-, KC+ red, C+ red (gyrophoric acid); Arthonia montagnei (fairly common in Coastal Plain on hardwood bark but currently excluded from NatureServe & GA DNR databases due to nomenclatural issue) is similar, but has greener thallus that lacks isidia, has pale lumps at thallus center obscuring ascomata, & has thallus (especially at edge of prothallus) reacting K+ yellow (atranorin)

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Mesic hardwood forests & isolated swamp forests; substrates: 2 recordsd each from Acer, Magnolia & Quercus bark

Life History

Corticolous crustose lichenized fungus, photobiont an alga in genus Trentepohlia

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Coastal Plain

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Rare

Conservation Management Recommendations

None

References

Aptroot, A., G. Thor, R. Lücking, J. A. Elix & J. L. Chaves. 2009. The lichen genus Herpothallon reinstated. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 99: 19-66.

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.

Frisch, A., J. Rudolphi & G. Thor. 2014. Herpothallon inopinatum (Arthoniaceae), a new lichen species from Mexico. Ann. Bot. Fennici 51: 63–68.

Authors of Account

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

10 March 2022