# 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.

- **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.

## About

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...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/12343658-285f-4ef6-81dc-9b69433b73ed
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/49578
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramalina menziesii
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/42055456/medium.jpg (anonymous, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.