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dot lichen
Scientific Name: Arthonia erupta
Family: Arthoniaceae
Category: Lichen
Growth: Lichenous
Duration:
Other Names:
Dot Lichen: A World of Tiny Wonders
The term "Dot Lichen" is a common name applied to lichens belonging to the genera Arthonia or Micarea. It's also sometimes used more generally for lichens within the genus Bacidia, which are referred to as "Dotted Lichens."
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Kingdom: Fungi
- Phylum: Ascomycota
- Class: Lecanoromycetes
- Order: (varies depending on specific species)
- Family: Arthoniaceae (for some Dot Lichens) or Ramalinaceae (for poplar dot lichen) or Icmadophilaceae (for Pink Dot Lichen)
Synonyms/Alternative Names: Several species previously classified under different genera are now considered Dot Lichens, such as City Dot Lichen whose synonym is Bacidia chlorococca.
Distribution and Habitat
- Dot lichens can be found in various locations, including Mount Rainier National Park, New Orleans, Florida, and on palm tree bark in Bahia Honda Key, Florida, USA.
- They can also grow on birch bark and rocks.
Morphological Characteristics
- Mycobilimbia pilularis, a species of Dot Lichen, is a crustose lichen with a grayish green thallus without soredia or isidia, and yellowy brown biatorine, convex apothecia.
- Pink Dot Lichen (Dibaeis absoluta) has pink apothecia born on very short stalks (ca. 1 mm).
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Dot Lichens may grow on trees, as noted for the "Birchbark Dot Lichen" (Leptorhaphis species).
Further Information
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Catalogue of Life
- ResearchGate
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Quirky Facts
- One article mentioned the headline "I'm lichen it!" in reference to eating oak moss.