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dot lichen

Scientific Name: Arthonia taedescens

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. Similarly, lichens in the genus Bacidia are sometimes referred to as "Dotted Lichens." These names reflect the characteristic appearance of these lichens, often presenting as small, dot-like structures on various surfaces.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Common Name: Dot Lichen, Dotted Lichen
  • Genera: Arthonia, Micarea, Bacidia
  • Family: Arthoniaceae (for Arthonia) and Micareaceae (for Micarea)
  • Kingdom: Fungi

Distribution and Habitat

  • Dot lichens are found in various locations, including the New Orleans area, Mount Rainier National Park, and Bahia Honda Key, Florida.
  • They often grow on substrates like rocks, tree bark (including palm tree bark), and even birchbark.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Dot lichens typically appear as small dots.
  • Mycobilimbia pilularis (a 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 short stalks.

Examples of Dot Lichen Species

  • Arthonia arthonioides
  • Arthonia asteriscus
  • Arthonia exilis
  • Arthonia dispersa (Dispersed Dot Lichen)
  • Arthonia tuckermaniana (Tuckerman's Dot Lichen)
  • Arthonia glebosa
  • Micarea nitschkeana (Nitschke's Dot Lichen)
  • Leptorhaphis epidermidis (Birchbark Dot Lichen)
  • Leptorhaphis atomaria (Birchbark Dot Lichen)
  • Micarea globulosella (Globe Dot Lichen)
  • Bacidia rubella (Frosty-rimmed Dot Lichen)
  • Dibaeis absoluta (Pink Dot Lichen)
  • Japewia tornoensis (Hidden Dot Lichen)
  • Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (City Dot Lichen)
  • Micarea erratica (Erratic Dot Lichen)

Quirky Facts

  • One source mentions seeing a headline, "I'm lichen it!" in a Times article about eating oak moss, demonstrating wordplay with the term "lichen."
  • The abundance of lichens in certain areas, like New Orleans, often goes unnoticed by most people.

Further Resources

  • Encyclopedia of Life
  • Catalogue of Life
  • USDA
  • Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
  • ResearchGate
  • WikiSpecies