Umbilicaria phaea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Umbilicaria phaea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Umbilicaria phaea is the lichen on the right | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Umbilicariales |
| Family: | Umbilicariaceae |
| Genus: | Umbilicaria |
| Species: | U. phaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Umbilicaria phaea Tuck. (1869) | |
Umbilicaria phaea is a brown, umbilicate foliose lichen that grows up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, sometimes in colonies covering large patches of desert rocks.[2]: 127 [3] One variety that grows in northern California is brilliant red.[2] It is monophyllous with a single 1 – 5 cm flattish leaf-like cap on top of an anchoring stem (umbilicate).[3] The leaflike top is smooth with some lobes, roughly circular, thin, and brittle.[3] The lower surface is light gray to light brown.[3] It has up to 2.5 mm black circular to slightly polygonal spots that are the fruiting bodies (apothecia), slightly sunken into the main nonfruiting body part (thallus).[3] It grows on siliceous boulders in very dry climates of western North and South America, where it is usually the most common member of its genus.[3]
