#flavoparmelia

Flavoparmelia rutidota

Common biscuit lichen

People often ask me if I can make a guide to common lichens. I am hesitant to do that because a) time, b) "common" is very dependent on where you live, and c) because that basically already exists on a lil website called iNaturalist. Take me, last week: here I was thinking that I way overrepresent northern hemisphere lichens on this blog, and it has severely limited my knowledge of southern hemisphere lichens. So, I go to iNaturalist, and search for lichens in Australia, and sort observations from most common to least column, and boom--here's a list of lichens that are common Down Under, many many of which I have never heard of (or covered on this blog). Like F. rutidota, a foliose lichen found growing on trees and wood in temperate and subtropical Australia. It's big, it's showy, it's got a super adorable common name, but I had never even heard of it since it falls outside of my sphere of information. But you know who does have that info? iNaturalist. I love iNaturalist. Please use iNaturalist.

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Some super common macro lichens in the midwest you can readily learn. Generalized to mainly wood surface and not super generalized on rock.

Common Greenshield Lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata

vs

Punctelia rudecta, and recent split Punctelia missouriensis (see those white speckled lobes. during full developement and we see a different colored isidiate core. this is why it’s commonly known as the rough speckled shield ) (this concept can be seen in the lower specimen.) (The upper though developes consistently less isidiate core and instead has overlapping squamulobes which gives it a mealy look.) (Called Mealy Speckled Shield lichen.)

What isn’t as common is large thallus mats with proper apothecia developement. Its like a light blue core if it’s the case unlike moon glow lichen which has a brown apothecia core and smooth axle bristle which looks green when hydrated and has an orange like tint when dry. imishaga doesn’t seem to produce apothecia or an isidiate core while rough speckled can produce both though the apothecia are supposed to be small like seen above on this Quercus muehlenbergii

the green shield will be smooth, baltimore green shield is a rock species where as smooth(rare) and common are both on wood, not an isidiate display, and fully same colored thallus wet or dry.

Flavoparmelia soredians

A positive story for today! F. soredians is sensitive to pollution--particularly sulfur dioxide. Now generally in our modern age, lichen populations which are sensitive to pollution have been decreasing. But recently, observers and scientists have actually noticed populations of this lichen increasing! This trend follows trends in decreases in environmental sulfur dioxide pollution, and so this goes to show that if we reduce environmental pollution, lichen populations can bounce back! This foliose lichen grows in closely-attached rosettes up to 10 cm in diameter. The upper surface is yellow-green, and speckled with farinose soredia bursting from round or ridge-like soralia. The lower surface is black towards the center and brown toward to lobe margins, and has simple rhizines. It only rarely produces apothecia, which are saucer-shaped with a brown disc and sorediate margin. F. soredians grows on trees, wood, and occasionally rock and roofs. It has been recognized thus far in Europe, North America, and Australia, but who knows where its range might expand to next!

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Flavoparmelia baltimorensis

Rock greenshield lichen

Back from vacation and back on my lichen bullshit! This foliose lichen has smooth, yellow-green lobes dotted with pustules across the upper surface. The lower surface is brown-black, with simple, black rhizines.  It produces small, pustule-like, brown-disked apothecia. F. baltimorensis grows on acidic rock in eastern and SW North America. 

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