No images found for this plant ID: 3175.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "3175" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
dot lichen
Scientific Name: Arthonia leucastraea
Family: Arthoniaceae
Category: Lichen
Growth: Lichenous
Duration:
Other Names:
Dot Lichen
The common name "Dot Lichen" refers to lichens within the genera Arthonia or Micarea. Additionally, lichens in the genus Bacidia are sometimes referred to as "Dotted Lichens."
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Group: Lichen
- Family: Arthoniaceae (for some Dot Lichens) or Icmadophilaceae (for Pink Dot Lichen) or Micareaceae (for Erratice Dot Lichen)
- Genus Examples: Arthonia, Micarea, Bacidia, Leptorhaphis, Dibaeis, Mycobilimbia, Scoliciosporum
Examples of Dot Lichen Species and Varieties
- Arthonia arthonioides - Dot Lichen
- Arthonia asteriscus - Dot Lichen
- Arthonia exilis
- Arthonia glebosa - Dot Lichen
- Arthonia dispersa - Dispersed Dot Lichen
- Arthonia tuckermaniana - Tuckerman's Dot Lichen
- Leptorhaphis epidermidis - Birchbark Dot Lichen
- Leptorhaphis atomaria - Birchbark Dot Lichen
- Micarea globulosella - Globe Dot Lichen
- Micarea erratica - Erratic Dot Lichen
- Micarea nitschkeana - Nitschke's Dot Lichen
- Dibaeis absoluta - Pink Dot Lichen
- Bacidia rubella - Frosty-rimmed Dot Lichen
- Mycobilimbia pilularis - Dot Lichen
- Scoliciosporum chlorococcum - City Dot Lichen (Synonym: Bacidia chlorococca)
- Caloplaca arenaria - Granite Firedot Lichen
- Cliostomum griffithii - Multicolored Dot Lichen
Distribution and Habitat
- Dot Lichens can be found in various locations, including the New Orleans area, Mount Rainier National Park, and Bahia Honda Key, Florida.
- They grow on a variety of surfaces such as rocks, tree bark (including palm trees), and birch bark.
Morphological Characteristics
- Dot Lichens are often crustose, meaning they form a crust-like layer on their substrate.
- Mycobilimbia pilularis has a grayish-green thallus and yellowy-brown apothecia.
- Pink Dot Lichen (Dibaeis absoluta) has pink apothecia born on short stalks.
- Some, like the Speckled Shield Lichen (Punctelia bolliana), have tiny white dots and lobules.
Quirky Facts
- Some Dot Lichens are said to be easily overlooked by most people.
- One article headline about oak moss mentioned "I'm lichen it!"
Further Information
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Catalogue of Life
- USDA Plant Database
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
- ResearchGate