SafePlants

Colorado Cracked Lichen (Acarospora coloradiana)

Considerations for Pets

• Lichens can grow on rocks and in cracks. Pets might encounter them during outdoor activities.

Considerations for Children

• Lichens can grow on rocks and walls, which children might interact with.
• New lichen plants can grow from broken pieces of existing lichens.

Quirky Facts

• A lichen-growth curve has been developed for dating Recent glacial activity in the Indian Peaks area of the Colorado Front Range. This highlights a unique application of lichen study in geological dating.
• Lichens have been described as a partnership between fungi and algae, challenging the traditional view of them as a separate plant group.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Acarospora coloradiana H. Magn.
• Common Name: Colorado Cracked Lichen

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Acarosporaceae
• Genus: Acarospora
• Other Species Mentioned:
  • Acarospora complanata H. Magn.
  • Acarospora desolata H. Magn.
  • Acarospora nodulosa var. nodulosa (Nodule Cracked Lichen)
  • Acarospora schleicheri (Schleicher’s Cracked Lichen)
  • Acarospora heppii (Hepp's cracked lichen)

Distribution and Habitat

• Primarily found in Colorado, USA, particularly in the Rocky Mountains.
• Also found in California and Alaska.
• Grows on rocks, walls, and in cracks in areas with open or partial shade.

Ecological Role

• Lichens contribute to soil building activities.

Morphological Characteristics

• Crustose lichen, sometimes areolate (cracked into angular sections).
• Ascocarps (fruiting bodies) visible as brownish black thalline cracks or slits.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Lichens represent a symbiotic partnership between fungi and algae.
• Fungal filaments (hyphae) can infiltrate minute cracks in rocks.

Further Information

• Garden Guides: Provides general information about gardening.
• AllPosters.com: Offers photographic prints related to the Colorado Cracked Lichen and its environment.
• Rare Plant Survey of San Juan Public Lands, Colorado: Provides data from a specific survey.