Lichens in the Sierra Nevada

Let me begin by saying: I have NO IDEA what I am doing yet regarding lichens. I am at the fragile beginner's stage still. I have joined the California Lichen Society, thereby joining 150+ other people who have succumbed to the allure of these ubiquitous but oft-unnoticed denizens of our world.

This weekend we are headed to the mountains as part of the Sequoia Audubon Society's annual Mono Lake trip. So I decided to see what species of lichens had already been recorded in the Sierra Nevada here in iNaturalist. I went to "Places" and put in Sierra Nevada. Here's what I got:

Wolf Lichen
Brown-eyed Wolf Lichen
Oakmoss
Emery Rocktripe Lichen
Brown Tile Lichen
Elegant Sunburst Lichen
Pleopsidium flavum
Whiskered Jelly Lichen
Brown-eyed Sunshine Lichen
Tattered Jellyskin Lichen
Broad Wrinkle Lichen
Western Waterfan Lichen
Farinose Cartilage Lichen
Yellow Map Lichen
Tree Pelt Lichen
Fancy Frost Lichen
Rock Jewel Lichen
Parmelina quercina
Effervescent Tarpaper Lichen
Blistered Jelly Lichen
Flattened thornbush lichen
Sagebrush Goldspeck Lichen
Double-rimmed Saucer Lichen
Maritime Sunburst Lichen
Hooded Rosette Lichen
Imshaug’s Tube Lichen
Trumpet Lichen
Yellow Cobblestone Lichen
Witch’s Hair
Hoary Rosette Lichen
Bumpy Rim-Lichen
Golden Moonglow Lichen
Peltula euploca
Bare-bottomed Subburst Lichen
Fan Pelt Lichen
Lesser Salted Rocktripe Lichen
Green Starburst Lichen
Petalled Rocktripe Lichen
Peltula sahlbruckneri
Rose-petalled Jellyskin Lichen
Tufted Foxtail Lichen
Rhizocarpon bolanderi
Powder-tipped Rosette Lichen
Peltate Rimmed Navel Lichen
Colorado Rock-shield
Rimmed Navel Lichen
Shield Lichen
Candleflame Lichen
Varied Rag Lichen
Arizona Beard Lichen
Lipstick Powderhorn
Variable Wrinkle-lichen
Common Powderhorn
Membranous Pelt Lichen
Star Rosette Lichen
Pin-cushion Sunburst Lichen
Cumberland Rock Shield
Stonewall Rim Lichen
Pebbled Pixie Cup
Common Goldspeck
Dog Pelt Lichen
Orange Rock Posy
Hooded Sunburst Lichen
Salted Shield Lichen
Boreal Beard Lichen
Many-fruited Pelt Lichen
Budding Tube Lichen
Hidden Goldspeck Lichen
Plane Firedot Lichen
Tile Lichen
Friged Rosette Lichen
Blue-gray Rosette Lichen

Posted on July 18, 2017 03:21 PM by gyrrlfalcon gyrrlfalcon

Comments

@metsa , @kueda , @robberfly - if any of you have ideas of which species I should really study up on - we'll be in the White Mountains, Mono Basin, Spooner Lake (Nevada) and Yuba Pass areas. @dpom , @leslie_flint , @novapatch might also find this list interesting...oh, and @finatic too!

Posted by gyrrlfalcon over 6 years ago

If you find yourself next to a forest stream keep an eye out for aquatic Peltigera species like http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/227387-Peltigera-gowardii. They look like marine algae. Also FWIW, common names are even less reliable than usual for lichens.

Posted by kueda over 6 years ago

How fun @gyrrlfalcon ! This is a long list. I would recommend focusing first on the "macrolichens" (larger and non-crustose lichens), which are easier to ID. I would also recommend focusing first on genus and leave species for later study. I took several good Intro to Lichens classes to get me started. Then again, go with what meets your fancy!! @tom_carlberg : any ideas? Connecting with California Lichen Society definately helps.

Posted by metsa over 6 years ago

Lichens interest me but are so frustrating in trying to learn them. I take a step forward only to them take two backwards as I learn something new. But it is something that I'm slowly working on here and there between putting it on the shelf for awhile out of frustration.

Posted by finatic over 6 years ago

That list makes my head hurt.

Posted by leslie_flint over 6 years ago

You! @leslie_flint! You who documented all the fungi of ACR?

Posted by gyrrlfalcon over 6 years ago

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