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cracked lichen
Scientific Name: Acarospora terricola
Family: Acarosporaceae
Category: Lichen
Growth: Lichenous
Duration:
Other Names:
Cracked Lichen (Acarospora)
Cracked lichens, often resembling a cobblestone road or cracked paint, belong to the genus Acarospora. The name reflects the characteristic cracked or areolate appearance of their thallus (lichen body).
Considerations for Pets
- Lichens growing on rocks may present a tripping hazard.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- The lichen thallus initially comprises separate lumps growing on the prothallus.
- These lumps often merge, creating a continuous, cracked surface.
- A continuous crust may partially or completely crack during growth, resulting in a 'cracked-areolate' thallus.
- Some species, like Buellia subalbula, have a white, cracked thallus that appears slightly frosted.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Acarospora (Genus)
- Common Names: Cobblestone Lichens, Cracked Lichens
- Kingdom: Fungi
- Phylum: Ascomycota
- Class: Lecanoromycetes
- Order: Agyriales
- Family: Acarosporaceae
- Synonyms/Related Species:
- Acarospora hilaris
- Acarospora schleicheri (Schleicher's Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora aeruginosa (Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora arenosa (Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora gallica (Gallic Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora impressula (Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora nodulosa (Nodule Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora socialis (Cracked Lichen)
- Acarospora badiofusca (Cracked Lichen)
Distribution and Habitat
- Narcotic lichen (likely a species of cracked lichen) is rare and grows in desolate parts of the Rockies.
- Acarospora schleicheri (Schleicher's Cracked Lichen) can be found in the Rocky Mountains.
- Acarospora nodulosa has been observed in Planalto das Cezaredas, Portugal.
- Often found growing on rocks, including granite and sandstone cliffs.
Ecological Role
- Lichens contribute to the breakdown of rocks through a slow process of surface erosion.