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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: Wide variety of forests and woodlands

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Description

Shiny gray thallus of adnate lobes varying in width, rounded sinuses forming circular gaps between lobes (“loops”); thallus surface wrinkled toward center; mostly unbranched, short black rhizines on some lobe margins; large lecanorine apothecia with brown disks sometimes abundant, rims occasionally crenulate; CHEMISTRY: medulla K+ purple-brown, PD- (lividic acid); FIELD ID: big, robust specimens are obvious, but smaller ones may require close examination to eliminate similar species detailed below

Similar Species

Bulbothrix confoederata is a smaller, thinner lichen, has more consistently round, flat, thin-rimmed apothecia, & on close examination the cilia have bulbous bases; Myelochroa galbina is also smaller & has a yellow-pigmented medulla that reacts K+ yellow turning dark brown, PD+ orange

Related Rare Species

Hypotrachyna croceopustulata, H. cryptochlora, H. oostingii, H. pseudosinuosa

Habitat

Widespread in forests & woodlands; substrates: 96% on hardwood bark: 42% Quercus, 7% Acer & 47% other hardwoods or unknowns; 3% on conifer bark: 5 records on Taxodium, 2 on Pinus & 1 on Juniperus; 1 record on silicious rock

Life History

Corticolous foliose lichenized fungus, photobiont a unicellular green alga (Trebouxia?)

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

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

25 March 2022