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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: Open woodlands, forests, swamps

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Description

Pale green-gray thallus of broad (0.5-1 cm wide) lobes that arch away from substrate, giving the thallus a fruticose appearance; undersides white for all but the black center; lobe margins dotted with small white soralia amidst abundant, long black cilia; lobes occasionally shallowly divided by sinuses of non-sorediate & non-ciliate margins, creating broad side-lobes tipped with soralia & cilia; CHEMISTRY: medulla K+ red, PD+ yellow-orange (norstictic acid); FIELD ID: typical individuals are identifiable on sight, but those with shallow sinuses approach shape of Parmotrema hypoleucinum, & can usually be sorted out with a field K test to the medulla

Similar Species

Parmotrema hypoleucinum is almost identical, differing only by degree of division of main lobes into multiple side lobes, but is usually composed of narrow, relatively deeply divided lobes, & its medulla is K+ yellow to only slightly orange; occasional individuals have intermediate morphology & K tests that are difficult to judge on the red-orange scale (see key below)

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Open woodlands, forests, swamps; substrates: hardwood bark: 19% Quercus & 49% other hardwoods or unknowns; conifer bark: 19% Pinus, 6% Taxodium, 4 records on Juniperus & 1 on Tsuga; 3 records on decorticate wood

Life History

Corticolous foliose lichenized fungus, photobiont a 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 May 2022