Elegant Sunburst Lichen
(Xanthoria elegans)
Conservation • Description • Biology • 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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Elegant Sunburst Lichen is an extremely widespread and very common lichen. It is found on all continents except Australia. It grows on rocks in humid to dry micro climates. It is common on rocky shores, especially where bird droppings provide nitrogen for its sustenance. It is very common on the rocky shores of Lake Superior. It is very long lived and very slow growing: it grows at a consistent rate of 1 ⁄64″ (0.5 mm) per year for the first hundred years before slowing down a bit. The vegetative body (thallus) is leaf-like (foliose) and divided into small branches (lobes). It forms colonies up to 2½″ in diameter. It grows very closely attached to the substrate (rock) but does not have root-like structures (rhizines). The lobes are convex, narrow, rounded to flattened at the tip, and 1 ⁄64″ to 1 ⁄16″ wide. They grow tightly connected to adjacent lobes and are so small that the lichen may at appear crusty (crusticose), especially near the center. The color of the upper surface varies with the amount of moisture available: in streams it is yellowish-orange, on rocks out of water it is orange, and in dry areas it is dark reddish-orange. The lower surface is white and somewhat wrinkled. Occasionally there are short, peg-like structures (hapters) attaching the thallus to the substrate. Disk-like, spore-producing structures (apothecia) are common, often abundant, sometimes absent. The disks are 1 ⁄32″ to ⅛″ (2 to 7 mm) in diameter, slightly raised, shaped like a plate, and the same color as the thallus. Xanthoria elegans var. splendens, the variety found in Minnesota, does not produce powdery dull granules (soredia) or shiny granules (isidia). |
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Similar Species |
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Biology |
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Substrate |
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On rock. |
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Growth Form |
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Foliose |
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Habitat |
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Humid to dry. |
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Hosts |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 7/19/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Extremely widespread and very common |
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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 | Lecanoromycetidae | ||
Order |
Teloschistales | ||
Suborder |
Teloschistineae | ||
Family |
Teloschistaceae | ||
| Subfamily | Xanthorioideae | ||
Genus |
Xanthoria (Sunburst Lichens) | ||
| Mycobiont | Xanthoria elegans | ||
| Photobiont | |||
A study published in 2013 transferred this species to the closely-related genus Rusavskia. This move was accepted by many—but not all—authorities. Both names are now widely in use. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Elegant Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria elegans var. elegans) Elegant Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria elegans var. granulifera) Elegant Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria elegans var. splendens) |
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Synonyms |
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Caloplaca elegans Gasparrinia elegans Lecanora elegans Lichen elegans Parmelia elegans Physcia elegans Rusavskia elegans Zanthoria elegans |
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Common Names |
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Elegant Orange Wall Lichen Elegant Sunburst 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.
Foliose
Adjective: Leaf-like growth form; referring to lichens with leaf-like growths divided into lobes.
Noun: The leaf-like, vegetative body of a lichen (thallus) that has thin, flat lobes which are free from the substrate.
Rhizine
A root-like structure of a lichen that attaches the lower layer to the substrate.
Thallus
The vegetative body of a lichen composed of both the alga and the fungus.
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Other Videos |
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| Today I learned about: elegant sunburst lichen 🔆 Ashley Houghton |
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About
Published on Jul 25, 2017 Who knew lichen could be so elegant? The scientific name is Xanthoria elegans, while the common name is elegant sunburst lichen 🔅🔅🔅 |
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Visitor Sightings |
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| Luciearl 1/7/2019 |
Location: Cass County |
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| Luciearl 9/26/2018 |
Location: Cass County |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 10/2/2018
Last Updated: