Orange Crusts #

Lecideaceae #

Lecidea haerjedalica, Lecidea lapicida var. lapicida, Lecidea lapicida var. pantherina, Lecidea lithophila, Lecidea silacea, Lecidea swartzioidea, Porpidia cinereoatra, Porpidia crustulata, Porpidia flavicunda, Porpidia flavocruenta, Porpidia hydrophila, Porpidia macrocarpa, Porpidia melinodes, Porpidia ochrolemma, Porpidia soredizodes, Porpidia striata, Porpidia thomsonii

Ramalinaceae #

Toninia philippea

Rhizocarpaceae #

Rhizocarpon lavatum, Rhizocarpon oederi

Hymeneliaceae #

Hymenelia arctica, Hymenelia ceracea, Hymenelia epulotica, Hymenelia heteromorpha, Hymenelia melanocarpa, Hymenelia rhodopis, Ionaspis lacustris, Ionaspis lavata, Ionaspis obtecta, Ionaspis odora, Ionaspis suaveolens, Tremolecia atrata

Teloschistaceae #

Gyalolechia allochroa, Gyalolechia bracteata, Gyalolechia desertorum, Gyalolechia flavovirescens

Organization #

Select Crusts

Substrate #

Rocks of various chemistries

Notes #

There are many similar-looking species which are often confused for one another which are referred to broadly as “orange crustose lichens” or some modification thereof. While we do not encourage attempts at their identification in the field, we do recognize that they are utilized in some state and federal projects as a taxonomic, functional, or as is often the case in practice a dustbin group for surveys. We include this page here as a jumping-off point. While it is possible that a much longer list of lichens could be grouped by vague morphological similarities, the reality is that most of the species of orange rock lichens often interconfused belong to the Lecideaceae, Rhizocarpaceae, Hymeneliaceae, or Teloschistaceae. Microscopy or genetic work would be necessary to identify them with certainty to species.

Photos #