Lepraria lanata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lepraria lanata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Stereocaulaceae |
| Genus: | Lepraria |
| Species: | L. lanata |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepraria lanata Tønsberg (2007) | |
 | |
Lepraria lanata is a species of leprose lichen in the family Stereocaulaceae.[2] It occurs in the eastern United States, where it grows most on rock surfaces, and occasionally on soil or mosses.
Lepraria lanata was described by the Norwegian lichenologist Tor Tønsberg in 2007, with the type specimen collected from a schistose rock wall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee). The species epithet lanata, from the Latin word for "woolly", refers to the appearance of the consoredia, which resemble balls of wool.[3] In their 2020 field guide to the lichens of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the authors introduced the vernacular name "Appalachian pillows" for the species, and called it "a special treasure of the Southern Appalachians and something to keep eyes wide open for".[4]