Can-of-worms Lichen
(Stictis urceolatum)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | NNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Can-of-worms Lichen occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia to New Jersey, west to Minnesota and Arkansas, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina. It grows in very close contact with the substrate (crusticose) on the bark of sugar maple trees. Can-of-worms Lichen appears as an irregular white patch with diffuse pale edges sprinkled with tiny, black dots. The vegetative portion is white, thick, rough, and cracked. Disk-like, spore-producing structures (apothecia) are produced. The apothecia are more or less disk-shaped and tiny, often no more than 1⁄32″ (1 mm) in diameter. The upper, spore-bearing surface is black. The edges are raised, rounded, and the same color as the thallus. |
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Similar Species |
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Whitewash Lichen (Phlyctis argena) looks similar but apothecia are extremely rare. |
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Habitat and Hosts |
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sugar maple |
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Ecology |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 12/10/2021 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Fungi (fungi) | ||
| Subkingdom | Dikarya | ||
| Phylum | Ascomycota (sac fungi) | ||
| Subphylum | Pezizomycotina | ||
| Class | Lecanoromycetes (common lichens) | ||
| Subclass | Ostropomycetidae | ||
Order |
Ostropales | ||
Family |
Stictidaceae | ||
Genus |
Stictis | ||
| Mycobiont | Stictis urceolatum | ||
| Photobiont | |||
Stictis urceolatum and Conotrema urceolatum were previously thought to be two separate species, the fungus Stictis urceolatum and the lichen Conotrema urceolatum. An analysis published in 1969 showed that the latter is the lichenized form of the former, but the lichen was not renamed. A more recently published DNA study (Wedin, Mats & DÖRING , Heidi & KÖNBERG , Kristina & GILENSTAM , Gunnar . [2005]) confirmed this. The genus name Stictis was used earlier, giving it priority, and the lichen was finally renamed. |
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Synonyms |
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Bacidia urceolata Conotrema urceolatum Lecidea urceolata Stictis urceolata |
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Common Names |
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Can-of-worms Lichen |
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Glossary
Apothecium
An open, disk-shaped or cup-shaped, reproductive structure, with spore sacs on the upper surface, that produces spores for the fungal partner of a lichen. Plural: apothecia.
Crusticose
Crusty; referring to lichens in such close contact with the rock surface (substrate) that it appears sprayed on like paint.
Thallus
In lichens: The vegetative body of a lichen composed of both the alga and the fungus. In liverworts: a flat, relatively undifferentiated plant body. Plural: thalli.
Optional Lichenization
A recent study (Wedin et al., 2004) showed three Stictis species to be the first known cases of optional lichenization. Individuals of the same species can develop either as a lichen or as a saprotroph, depending on the substrate. This is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to successional habitats, where conditions are unpredictable.
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Luciearl |
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| Luciearl 11/10/2021 |
Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County |
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Created: 12/10/2021
Last Updated: