# powdered ruffle lichen

*Parmotrema hypotropum*

This species serves as an ecological bioindicator; its presence indicates clean, high-quality air free of heavy industrial pollution.

- **Taxonomy:** Fungi › Ascomycota › Lecanoromycetes › Lecanorales › Parmeliaceae › Parmotrema
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Bark of deciduous trees, particularly oaks, in open, humid forests and woodlands.
- **Diet:** Self-nourishing through photosynthesis by its symbiotic algal partner, absorbing moisture and minerals from the air.
- **Range:** North America, Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean
- **Size:** Thallus diameter of 3 to 10 cm, with ruffled lobes 3 to 10 mm wide.
- **Lifespan:** 30 to 100+ years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Air pollution (particularly sulfur dioxide), habitat loss from logging, and climate change affecting humidity levels.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This lichen is safe to touch and observe up close. Do not scrape it from its substrate, as it takes years to grow. It is non-toxic to touch but should not be ingested.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b0ee0219-b433-46a5-85b4-8d57206dee9a
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/155091

- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/340351279/medium.jpeg (Michael J. Papay, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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