SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 32283.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "32283" 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

felt lichen

Scientific Name: Peltigera collina

Family: Peltigeraceae

Category: Lichen

Growth: Lichenous

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum)

The Boreal Felt Lichen, scientifically known as Erioderma pedicellatum, is a unique and critically endangered lichen. It is also known as the "panda bear" of lichens due to its extreme rarity.

Considerations for Pets

  • The Boreal Felt Lichen has a fuzzy or felt-like upper surface, which could be tempting for pets to investigate and potentially ingest.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Erioderma pedicellatum (Hue) P.M. Jrg.
  • Common Name: Boreal Felt Lichen
  • Family: Pannariaceae
  • It is classified within the Kingdom Fungi and Phylum Ascomycota.

Distribution and Habitat

  • The Boreal Felt Lichen is found in temperate and boreal northern regions.
  • Specifically, it has been found in Norway, Sweden, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia (eastern and southern shores).
  • An Asiatic population was discovered in 2009 in the primeval oceanic spruce forests of Kronotsky Nature Reserve, Kamchatka.
  • In Newfoundland, it predominantly grows on the trunks of Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) and less frequently on Black Spruce (Picea mariana). It may also be found on White Spruce or occasionally Red Maple trees.

Ecological Role

  • The Boreal Felt Lichen is an epiphytic lichen, meaning it grows on other plants, particularly trees.
  • It is critically endangered and threatened by forestry operations, habitat disturbance, and air pollution.
  • The lichen's decline in Europe and Atlantic Canada is attributed mainly to air pollution and habitat loss.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Erioderma pedicellatum is a medium-sized, foliose (leafy) lichen.
  • It has a fuzzy or felt-like upper surface.
  • The lichen is greenish when moist and grey when dry.

Quirky Facts

  • It is sometimes referred to as the "panda bear" of lichens because of its extreme rarity.
  • It is a fungus, not a plant, and is critically endangered.
  • It is known to occur in at least nine locations along the eastern and southern shores of Nova Scotia.

Further Information

  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  • COSEWIC assessment and status reports
  • Newfoundland & Labrador Species at Risk
  • iNaturalist.org