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parasite cup lichen
Scientific Name: Cladonia parasitica
Family: Cladoniaceae
Category: Lichen
Growth: Lichenous
Duration:
Other Names:
Cladonia parasitica: The Parasite Cup Lichen
Cladonia parasitica, commonly known as the parasite cup lichen, is a fascinating lichen species that can be found growing on dead pine and spruce wood.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Cladonia parasitica (Hoffm.) Hoffm.
- Common Name: Parasite Cup Lichen, Fence-rail Cladonia
- Rank: Species
- Family: Cladoniaceae
- Symbol: CLPA13
Distribution and Habitat
- This lichen is often found on logs and old pinewood.
- Observed locations include St. Mary's County, Maryland, and Coweeta in Nantahala National Forest.
Morphological Characteristics
- The podetium (stalk-like structure) may be branched, and sometimes cup-like.
- Occasionally gray, without cups, unbranched or very sparingly branched from blunt apices tips.
- Also referred to as cup lichens.
Ecological Role and Interactions
- The lichen symbiosis in Cladonia parasitica might be parasitic or commensalistic.
- Lichens can be host to parasitic fungi such as Illosporiopsis christiansenii and Marchandiomyces corallinus.