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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:

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Rich, montane mesic hardwood forests

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Description

FORM WITH GREEN ALGAL PHOTOBIONT: Pale gray to rich green (wet) foliose thallus, loosely adnate; lobes 0.5-2 cm wide, smooth when young, puckered & wrinkled in older parts, with rounded to truncate tips; orange-brown apothecia shallowly cupped & with lobed thalline rims, abundant in older parts of thallus; underside light brown, tomentose; cephalodia with Nostoc seen as bumps on lower surface; FIELD ID: unmistakable

FORM WITH CYANOBACTERIAL PHOTOBIONT: formerly thought to be its own species (Dendriscocaulon intricatulum), the 2 forms are sometimes seen growing together; olive-brown, highly dissected, fruticose thallus up to 2 cm tall (photo at end of account); FIELD ID: does not look like a lichen, & certainly nothing like green algal form; compare to photos

Similar Species

Lobaria ravenelii is similar but smaller & at lower elevations; its apothecia have lobules on margins

Related Rare Species

Lobaria ravenelii, L. tenuis

Habitat

Rich, montane mesic hardwood forests, on hardwood bark: 15 records on Quercus, 5 on Acer, 1 each on Fraxinus & Liquidambar

Life History

Corticolous foliose lichenized fungus, photobiont an alga in Trebouxia, or corticolous fruticose lichenized fungus, photobiont a cyanobacterium in Nostoc

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Southern Blue Ridge, Cumberland Plateau; outliers in Coastal Plain & Piedmont likely misidentifications

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Uncommon to fairly common in good habitat

Conservation Management Recommendations

Most habitat in Ga. protected

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

4 August 2022