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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: None

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Woodlands, forests

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Description

Pale green to yellow-green, continuous to areolate, granular to smooth thallus with tiny tan, light brown, chestnut, dark brown or dusted gray disks (often 2 or 3 colors mixed together on the same thallus) that appear rimless, flat & uniform, new disks sometimes proliferating from old ones; MICROSCOPY: spores colorless, 1-celled; CHEMISTRY: thallus K+ yellow, C+ yellow, KC+ orange, UV+ pale yellow-orange, sometimes weak (atranorin, xanthones); FIELD ID: unmistakable, confirming with chemistry as needed, given variability

Similar Species

This species' variability can be a way to distinguish it from other more uniform crusts with tiny disks

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Woodlands, forests; substrates: hardwood bark (especially twigs & small branches): 36% Quercus, 10% Acer & 49% other hardwoods or unknowns; conifer bark: 6 records on Pinus, 4 on Taxodium, & 1 on Juniperus

Life History

Corticolous crustose lichenized fungus, photobiont a green unicellular alga

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Abundant, if inconspicuous; possibly multiple species involved

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.

Tripp, E. A. & J. C. Lendemer. 2020. Field guide to the lichens of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville.

Authors of Account

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

8 February 2023