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spring biatora lichen

Scientific Name: Biatora vernalis

Family: Bacidiaceae

Category: Lichen

Growth: Lichenous

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Biatora vernalis

Biatora vernalis, commonly known as spring biatora lichen or spring dot lichen, is a lichen species belonging to the family Bacidiaceae.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Biatora vernalis (L.) Fr.
  • Kingdom: Fungi
  • Phylum: Ascomycota
  • Class: Lecanoromycetes
  • Order: Lecanorales
  • Family: Bacidiaceae
  • Genus: Biatora
  • Synonym: Lecidea (Biatora) uliginosa (Ehrh.) Schaer.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Biatora vernalis is found in various locations, including North America (specifically northwestern North America), the Czech Republic, and Maine.
  • It has been observed in Cheboygan County, Michigan.
  • This lichen is associated with different habitats, including coniferous forests, mixed spruce-deciduous forests, calcium-rich spring seeps, and areas around springs (including peat springs).

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Biatora vernalis is a crustose lichen.
  • It contains green algal photobionts.
  • Its growth form is described as lichenous.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Biatora vernalis serves as a habitat component for dark Stictas and jelly lichens in some environments.
  • Caterpillars may feed on lichens like Biatora chrysantha (a related species), providing food for birds in the spring.

Further Information

  • Information about Biatora vernalis can be found in the Catalogue of Life: 2012 Annual Checklist.
  • Distributional maps are available from USDA, NRCS (2009).
  • Additional resources include the Drone-Application-Server database, BioOne, Stephen Sharnoff's Lichen Photos, and the Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region.
  • The Checklist and Red List of lichens of the Czech Republic (Liška J., Palice Z. & Slavkov Š. (2008)) is another valuable source.