lace lichen
Ramalina menziesii
Lace lichen is the official state lichen of California, making it the first state lichen ever designated in the United States.
- Scientific name
- Ramalina menziesii
- Taxonomy
- Fungi › Ascomycota › Lecanoromycetes › Lecanorales › Ramalinaceae › Ramalina
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Coastal oak woodlands, coniferous forests, and valleys with regular fog penetration.
- Diet
- Self-nourishing via photosynthesis by its symbiotic green algae partner, utilizing moisture and nutrients filtered from fog and air.
- Range
- California, Oregon, Washington, Baja California
- Size
- Hanging strands up to 1 meter (3 feet) or more in length.
- Lifespan
- Several decades, with individual thalli living 10 to 50 years.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Air pollution (highly sensitive to sulfur dioxide), habitat loss, and intense wildfires.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely touch its net-like structures, but do not pull or tear it from its host tree, as it grows very slowly. It is non-toxic but not recommended for consumption.
Ramalina menziesii , the lace lichen , is a pale yellowish-green to grayish-green foliose lichen that grows up to a meter long, hanging from bark and twigs in a distinctive net-like or lace-like pattern that is unlike any other lichen in North America.:192 It becomes a deeper green when wet.:192 Apothecia are lecanorine.:192 it is an important food source for deer in the Coast Range of California, and a source of nest material for birds.:192 It is highly...
Photo: anonymous, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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