# Salted Shield Lichen

*Parmelia saxatilis*

The 'salted' appearance comes from tiny, cylindrical structures called isidia, which break off to help the lichen reproduce vegetatively.

- **Taxonomy:** Fungi › Ascomycota › Lecanoromycetes › Lecanorales › Parmeliaceae › Parmelia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Siliceous rocks, stone walls, and the bark of deciduous and coniferous trees in humid, temperate, and boreal zones.
- **Diet:** Produces energy via photosynthesis (by its symbiotic algal partner) and absorbs water and dissolved minerals directly from the atmosphere.
- **Range:** North America, Europe, Asia, Polar Regions
- **Size:** Thallus ranges from 5 to 20 cm in diameter, growing only 1-3 mm per year.
- **Lifespan:** 50 to over 100 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Air pollution (specifically sulfur dioxide and nitrogen deposition), deforestation, and urbanization.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can safely observe and gently touch this lichen. Avoid scraping or peeling it from its substrate, as it grows incredibly slowly. Wash hands after handling and do not ingest.

## About

Parmelia saxatilis , commonly known as the salted shield lichen or crottle , is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/81fbf027-bae7-49f2-870d-7680710e1681
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117860
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmelia saxatilis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/155366661/medium.jpg (Tero Linjama, CC0, via iNaturalist)

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