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Lecanora chlarotera Nyl.
Dusted White-rim

Photo © Giff Beaton, Taylor Co., Ga., 18 October 2021
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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: Sandhill woodlands, mixed forests


Description

Pale green thallus continuous to rimose, smooth to verruculose; apothecia abundant, less than 0.75 mm in diameter (occasionally to 1 mm); noticeably white, puffy, smooth rim, especially white when young, less noticeably so when old & often growing bumpy or beaded; surface of disk golden-tan to dark brown, lightly dusted with fine pruina (difficult to see without magnification); MICROSCOPY: upper hymenium clear, not inspersed with fine crystals, amphithecium with large crystals, spores simple, hyaline, ellipsoid, 10-12.5 µm long; CHEMISTRY: thallus K+ yellow; FIELD ID: possible with experience, especially in very white-rimmed individuals, but best confirmed with dissection

Similar Species

Lecanora rugosella usually has larger disks & spores & a rougher thallus; L. imshaugii has brown disks with strongly contrasting white rims, but the rim surfaces are often fuzzy, not smooth, & the disk surfaces lack a pruina

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Sandhill woodlands, montane forests, on hardwood bark, mostly Quercus

Life History

Corticolous crustose lichenized fungus, photobiont a unicellular green alga (Pseudotrebouxia)

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Mostly Coastal Plain, occasional in Piedmont & Southern Blue Ridge

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Uncommon (though common to abundant in some habitats, especially Coastal Plain sandhills on scrub oaks); Brodo (2020) indicates there are likely multiple species in L. chlarotera

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.

Brodo, I. M. 2020. Personal communication regarding specimens from Coastal Plain sandhills.

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

17 April 2022