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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 natural and anthropogenic habitats

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Description

Green to gray-green thallus, lobes 0.3-1 mm wide, fairly flat to concave; soralia of green soredia, on lobe tips, lip-shaped or hooded by upper cortex; lower cortex & rhizines white; thallus often perched above substrate on rhizines; CHEMISTRY: cortex & medulla K-; FIELD ID: fairly distinctive, noting position of soralia, pale undersides, lack of fringing cilia/rhizines, & performing field K test to cortex as necessary

Similar Species

Physciella melanchra has soralia on surface & margins of lobes; Physcia species all have K+ yellow cortex; Phaeophyscia species also have K- upper cortices, but most have black lower surfaces (P. insignis underside is also pale, but it is tiny & has laminal soralia)

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Wide variety of natural & anthropogenic habitats; substrates: hardwood bark: 31% Acer, 10% Carya & 23% on other hardwoods or unknowns; conifer bark: 8% Juniperus & 5% Taxodium; 15% on calcareous rock/concrete & 8% on silicious rock

Life History

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

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide, though not recorded in the lower Coastal Plain

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Uncommon

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

3 August 2022