SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 3420.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "3420" 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

dot lichen

Scientific Name: Arthonia punctiformis

Family: Arthoniaceae

Category: Lichen

Growth: Lichenous

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Dot Lichen

The term "Dot Lichen" is a common name used to refer to lichens belonging to either the genus Arthonia or the genus Micarea. The term "Dotted Lichens" sometimes refers to lichens in the genus Bacidia.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Group: Lichen
  • Family: Arthoniaceae (for Arthonia and related species) and Icmadophilaceae (for *Dibaeis absoluta*)
  • Taxonomic Rank: Genus
  • Synonyms: The text references several species of dot lichen and their scientific names, including
    • Arthonia arthonioides
    • Arthonia asteriscus
    • Arthonia exilis
    • Arthonia glebosa
    • Arthonia dispersa
    • Arthonia tuckermaniana
    • Micarea nitschkeana
    • Micarea erratica
    • Leptorhaphis epidermidis (Birchbark Dot Lichen)
    • Leptorhaphis atomaria (Birchbark Dot Lichen)
    • Micarea globulosella (Globe Dot Lichen)
    • Dibaeis absoluta (Pink Dot Lichen)
    • Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (City Dot Lichen)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Dot lichens can be found in various locations, including the New Orleans area, Mount Rainier National Park (growing on rocks), and Bahia Honda Key, Florida (growing on palm tree bark).

Morphological Characteristics

  • Dot lichens generally grow in small dots.
  • Mycobilimbia pilularis (another species referred to as Dot Lichen) is described as a crustose lichen with a grayish-green thallus and yellowy-brown apothecia.
  • Dibaeis absoluta (Pink Dot Lichen) has pink apothecia born on very short stalks (approximately 1 mm).

Quirky Facts

  • One article headline referenced says "I'm lichen it!", indicating the common wordplay associated with lichens.

Further Information

  • Catalogue of Life: 2012 Annual Checklist
  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • USDA Plant Database
  • Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
  • ResearchGate (for conservation assessments)