perforated ruffle lichen
Parmotrema perforatum
The 'perforated' in its name refers to the tiny, distinct holes at the centers of its disc-like fruiting bodies (apothecia).
- Scientific name
- Parmotrema perforatum
- Taxonomy
- Fungi › Ascomycota › Lecanoromycetes › Lecanorales › Parmeliaceae › Parmotrema
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Temperate and subtropical deciduous or mixed forests, typically growing on the bark of mature hardwood trees and occasionally conifers.
- Diet
- Self-nourishing through photosynthesis via its symbiotic green algae partner, supplemented by absorbing water and airborne minerals.
- Range
- North America, Southeastern United States, Central America, Caribbean
- Size
- 5 to 15 cm in diameter
- Lifespan
- 30 to 100+ years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Air pollution (particularly sulfur dioxide and heavy metals to which it is highly sensitive), habitat loss, and intensive forestry practices.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely observe and gently touch this lichen, but avoid scraping it off its substrate as it grows very slowly. It is non-toxic to touch, but should not be consumed.
Parmotrema perforatum , commonly known as the perforated ruffle lichen , is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae . The lichen was first formally described as new species in 1787 by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin. It was transferred to the genus Parmotrema by Italian lichenologist Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo in 1860. The lichen is characterized by its apothecia (fruiting body) often having a perforated hole in the center. The genus Parmotrema has a naked (white) zone on...
Photo: Michael J. Papay, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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