Solorina octospora
Greater tundra owl lichen
This rare foliose lichen grows on soil, humus, and moss in arctic-alpine and boreal-montane habitats in the northern hemisphere. It grows in small rosettes of rounded lobes growing closely attached to the substrate. The coloration varies wildly between the hydrated and desiccated states, appearing emerald to olive green when moist, and turning gray-brown to red-brown when dry. It has large, round, semi-immersed apothecia with concave, dark brown discs, often described as "chocolate chips" or "owl eyes." The upper surface is scabrous and dull, and the lower surface is veined and fuzzy with white to brown rhizines. While the primary photobiont for S. octospora is a green algae, it has a secondary cyanobacterial photobiont housed in internal pockets (cephalodia).
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