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coccocarpia lichen

Scientific Name: Coccocarpia palmicola

Family: Coccocarpiaceae

Category: Lichen

Growth: Lichenous

Duration:

Other Names: MN (a species of lichen)

       

Coccocarpia Lichen

Coccocarpia is a lichenized genus of fungi belonging to the Coccocarpiaceae family. This genus comprises approximately 24 species and exhibits a widespread distribution.

Scientific Name and Common Names

  • Scientific Name: Coccocarpia palmicola (Spreng.) Arv. & D.J. Galloway
  • Common Name: Coccocarpia Lichen, Salted Shell Lichen

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Family: Coccocarpiaceae
  • Synonyms/Related Names:
    • Coccocarpia cronia (Tuck.) (redirected to Coccocarpia palmicola)
    • Coccocarpia erythroxyli (Spreng.) Swinscow & Krog
    • Coccocarpia parmelioides (Hook.) Tuck. ex M.A. Curtis
    • Coccocarpia pellita (Ach.) Mull.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Coccocarpia species are found worldwide.
  • Specific locations mentioned include the Korean Peninsula, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands, Brazil, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Colombia, and the Greater Sonoran Desert region.
  • One study mentions lichens collected from Gunung Machincang, Langkawi Islands.
  • Coccocarpia erythroxyli and C. palmicola are mainly found in the humid tropics.

Ecological Role

  • Coccocarpia lichen was found to dominate the lichen population in Gunung Machincang, Langkawi Islands, at 28%.
  • One study suggests that rare lichens, including Coccocarpia palmicola, are threatened by introduced gastropods.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Coccocarpia erythroxyli has a thallus and apothecia.
  • Coccocarpia species are described as small-foliose, cyanophilic lichens.
  • Instead of green algae, this lichen forms a symbiotic partnership with a cyanobacteria (Scytonema).
  • One description notes that the lobes can be greenish to dark brown, convoluted, with abundant folioles (small, leaf-like structures) produced from the surfaces and margins.
  • Coccocarpia palmicola is described as dark blue-grey.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Coccocarpia forms a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria (specifically Scytonema) instead of green algae.

Further Information

  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • NatureServe
  • uBio
  • Trusted
  • Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria (CNALH)