Felt Horn Lichen
(Cladonia phyllophora)
| Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
not listed |
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NatureServe |
NNR - Unranked |
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Minnesota |
not listed |
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| Occurrence | Widespread and common |
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| Habitat/Hosts |
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| Photo by Luciearl | |||||||
| Identification | Felt Horn Lichen is a widespread, common, shrubby (fruticose) lichen. It occurs around the globe in the northern latitudes. In Minnesota it is common in the northern third of the state, rare to absent elsewhere. It grows on the ground in full sun or partial shade. Felt Horn Lichen produces two types of vegetative growth (thallus). The primary thallus is a leaf-like scale (squamule) that lies on the soil. The squamules are 1 ⁄16″ to ⅝″ (2 to 15 mm) long and 1 ⁄16″ to ⅛″ (2 to 4 mm) wide. They may be scattered, clustered, or dense and overlapping. The margins have many ascending lobes. The upper surface is lime green, olive green, or grayish-green, and smooth, not covered with granules (sorediate). The lower surface is white. The squamules often disappear as the secondary thallus grows. The secondary thallus is a vertical, usually unbranched, 5 ⁄16″ to 3⅛″ (8 to 80 mm) tall, 1 ⁄32″ to ⅛″ (1 to 4 mm) wide stalk that rises from the center of a squamule. It is somewhat trumpet shaped and has a puffy, soft surface, features that gives this lichen its common name Felt Horn Lichen. The stalk is lime green, olive green, or grayish-green. It may be all one color but is often mottled or spotted. The layer of protective tissue (cortex) is split longitudinally. Many of the stalks broaden gradually at the tip into a 1 ⁄32″ to ⅛″ (1 to 4 mm) wide cup. The cup is weakly or strongly convex and is wavy or lobed on the margins. Abundant brown, 1 ⁄32″ to 1 ⁄16″ (1 to 2 mm) in diameter reproductive structures (apothecia) appear on the margins of the cups and at the tips of branches that do not produce cups. |
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| Similar Species |
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| Distribution |  |
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| Comments |
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| Taxonomy | Division: |
Ascomycota (sac fungi) |
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No Rank: |
saccharomyceta |
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Subdivision: |
Pezizomycotina |
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No Rank: |
leotiomyceta |
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Class: |
Lecanoromycetes |
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Subclass: |
Lecanoromycetidae |
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Order: |
Lecanorales |
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Suborder: |
Lecanorineae |
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Family: |
Cladoniaceae |
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Mycobiont: |
Cladonia phyllophora |
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Photobiont: |
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| Synonyms | Capitularia degenerans Cladonia degenerans |
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| Common Names |
Felt Horn Lichen Felt 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.
Fruticose
Shrubby: referring to the growh form of lichens that may be tufted, draped, or stalked.
Soredium
The reproductive structure of a lichen consisting of a cluster of algal cells (the photobiont) wrapped in fungal filaments (the mycobiont). Plural: soredia.
Squamules
On lichens: small, flat, often overlapping, leaf-like scales without a lower cortex. Adjective: squamulose
Thallus
The vegetative body of a lichen composed of both the alga and the fungus.
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| Luciearl 8/2/2019 |
Location: Cass County (Paul Bunyan Trail) |
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Created: 8/24/2019
Last Updated: