This site is a simple hiker's guide to the most common lichen in the Upstate of South Carolina
What is a Lichen?
The term 'lichen' was coined in the early 17th century, and originates from the Greek word leikhēn.
While they were formerly considered to be plants, a lichen is a complex symbiosis composed of the fungal components and a photobiont (algae or cyanobacteria)! Lichen are found all over the world and thrive in a multitude of climates.
The fungal components use their hyphae to take nutrients that the photobiont produces through photosynthesis and in return the photobiont receives water and organic nutrients from the fungus( Tuovien et al., 2019).
Lichens in the Upstate of South Carolina
Below is a list of some of the most common lichens found in the upstate region of South Carolina:
Cladonia apodocarpa
Cladonia cristatella
Cladonia rangiferina
Cladonia subcariosa
Dirinaria applanata
Parmotrema hypotropum
Parmotrema margaritatum
Parmotrema perforatum
Parmotrema subtinctorium
Usnea dasopoga
Usnea strigosa
References:
Tuovinen, V., Ekman, S., Göran, T., Vanderpool, D., Spribille, T. & Johannesson, H. (2019). Two basidiomycete fungi in the cortex of wolf lichens. Current Biology, 29, 476-483.