SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 14442.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "14442" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

crater lichen

Scientific Name: Diploschistes bisporus

Family: Thelotremataceae

Category: Lichen

Growth: Lichenous

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Crater Lichen

Crater Lichen refers to various species within the genus Diploschistes. These lichens are known for their crustose growth habit and distinctive, crater-like fruiting structures.

Considerations for Pets

  • Crater lichens are often found growing on rocks and other surfaces, and may be encountered by pets during outdoor activities.
  • The text mentions that they are crustose lichens with a thick, cracked (areolate) body (thallus).

Considerations for Children

  • Crater lichens are often found growing on rocks and other surfaces, and may be encountered by children during outdoor activities.
  • The text mentions that they are crustose lichens with a thick, cracked (areolate) body (thallus).

Scientific Classification

  • Genus: Diploschistes
  • Group: Lichen
  • Order: Graphidales
  • Family: Thelotremataceae

Common Names

  • Crater Lichen
  • Cowpie Lichen (for Diploschistes muscorum ssp. muscorum)
  • Desert Crater Lichen (for Diploschistes diacapsis)
  • Pale Crater Lichen (for Gyalecta flotowii)

Synonyms

  • Urceolaria scruposa (synonym for Diploschistes scruposus)
  • Diploschistes bryophilus (synonym for Diploschistes muscorum ssp. muscorum)
  • Diploschistes canadensis (synonym for Diploschistes muscorum ssp. muscorum)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Crater lichens have a worldwide distribution.
  • They are commonly found growing on rocks, with some species preferring compacted sandy soils.
  • They are observed in locations such as Crater Lake National Park and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
  • Desert crater lichen (Diploschistes diacapsis) is found on several continents but is strongly restricted to gypsiferous (gypsum-rich) soils on the Colorado Plateau.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Crater lichens are crustose lichens.
  • They have a thick, cracked (areolate) body (thallus).
  • The fruiting part has a crater-like appearance.

Ecological Role

  • Lichens are often the dominant form of vegetation in certain environments, such as areas near craters.
  • They are among the first organisms to return to disturbed environments, such as lava flows.
  • Lichens are used as food by animals like caribou.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Many species of fungi, beetles, birds, and bats rely on the presence of lichens in certain environments.
  • Lichens are sometimes associated with specific plant communities, such as Baccharis pilularis shrubland.

Further Information

  • ARKive: Crater lichen photos and facts.
  • EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Taxon page for Diploschistes.
  • Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region.
  • Catalogue of Life: 2012 Annual Checklist.
  • NPLichen: A Database of Lichens in the U.S. National Parks.
  • Wikimedia Commons: File:Crater Lichen (4776825870).jpg.