The Ramalinaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. First proposed by Carl Adolph Agardh in 1821, the family now comprises 63 genera and about 750 species. Ramalinaceae lichens exhibit diverse growth forms, including crustose, fruticose, squamulose, leprose, and byssoid thalli, and form symbiotic relationships primarily with green algae of the genus Trebouxia. The family is characterised by pale-coloured thalli, apothecia that are typically pale but may darken with age, and ascospores that vary in shape and septation.
Cliostomum is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. It has about 25 species.
Absconditella is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Stictidaceae. These lichens are characterised by their inconspicuous growth and small, cup-shaped fruiting bodies (apothecia) that are often hidden within a jelly-like mass containing green algae. The genus name, meaning "hidden", reflects their elusive nature. Absconditella species are typically found on short-lived surfaces such as decaying wood, mosses, and unstable soil. Genetic studies have revealed that the genus is more complex than previously thought, with some species being moved to a new genus, Absconditonia, and others potentially representing groups of closely related species. Despite their small size and easily overlooked nature, environmental DNA studies suggest that Absconditella lichens may be more widespread than collections indicate.
Bacidina contecta is a species of lichen in the family Ramalinaceae, first found in inland rainforests of British Columbia.
Biatora aureolepra is a species of lichen in the family Ramalinaceae, first found in inland rainforests of British Columbia.
Biatora ligni-mollis is a species of lichen in the family Ramalinaceae, first found in inland rainforests of British Columbia.
Allocalicium is a single-species fungal genus in the family Caliciaceae. It is monotypic, containing the single pin lichen species Allocalicium adaequatum. This lichen occurs in North America, South America, Europe, and the Russian Far East, where it grows on branches and twigs of deciduous trees and shrubs, typically those of alder and poplar. The species was originally described in 1869 as a member of Calicium, but molecular phylogenetics analysis demonstrated it was not a member of that genus and so Allocalicium was created to contain it.
Gowardia zebrina is a rare species of fruticose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in Canada, it was formally described as a new species in 2020 by the lichenologists Trevor Goward and Leena Myllys. The type specimen was collected by Goward on Mount Cain at an altitude of 1,440 m (4,720 ft). Here the lichen was found growing on the lower branches of a hemlock tree. The specific epithet zebrina refers to the diagnostic alternating pale and dark banding pattern of the terminal branches. The lichen has a limited distribution, as it is only known to occur in coastal northwest North America, extending from the Insular Mountains of southern Vancouver Island north to Hazelton. Its preferred habitat is in open, wind-scoured old growth forests, and its preferred substrate is the trunks and lower branches of conifer trees like fir and hemlock.
Biatora oxneri is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in the Russian Far East and in South Korea.
Toby Spribille is a lichenologist, specialising in evolution and taxonomy. He identified the presence of yeast cells as an additional fungal component of some lichens. He works at University of Alberta and is the Canada Research Chair in Symbiosis.
Peltigera cinnamomea, commonly known as the cinnamon-pelt lichen, is a muscicolous (moss-dwelling), leafy lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The Canadian lichenologist Trevor Goward formally described the species in 1995. The lichen is found in northwestern North America's forested regions, particularly in the unique montane and subalpine forest communities of the northern Rocky Mountains. Peltigera cinnamomea grows under prolonged snow cover, surviving well into spring. This trait distinguishes it from many other Peltigera species in similar North American forest ecosystems.
Peltigera castanea is a species of terricolous and muscicolous, foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Described as a new species in 2003, it is part of the taxonomically challenging species complex centred around Peltigera didactyla. Recognised based on phylogenetic studies that highlighted its unique genetic markers, P. castanea is distinguished by its dark, chestnut-coloured upper surface, which inspired its vernacular name, chestnut pelt lichen. Its known distribution includes North America, Asia, Europe (Estonia), Greenland, and the Antarctic. The conservation status of Peltigera castanea varies regionally, from being critically imperiled in British Columbia and Yukon to critically endangered in Estonia due to significant habitat degradation and restricted population size.
Biatora toensbergii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in Norway and northwestern North America.
Lepraria torii is a species of corticolous and lignicolous, leprose lichen in the family Stereocaulaceae. It is found in northwestern North America.
Tuckermannopsis orbata, commonly known as the variable wrinkle lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It is a small cetrarioid lichen, an informal growth form category that denotes lichens with erect, foliose thalli, and apothecia and pycnidia on the margins of the ruffled lobes. Tuckermannopsis orbata is found in Asia and North America, growing primarily on the wood and bark of mostly birch and coniferous tree branches and twigs.
Peltigera retifoveata is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It is found in Scandinavia, western Eurasia and western North America, where it grows on the ground and amongst mosses.
Puttea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi with uncertain familial placement in the order Lecanorales. The genus comprises four species. Finnish lichenologists Soili Stenroos and Seppo Huhtinen established the genus Puttea in 2009 for the lichen species formerly known as Lecidea margaritella, which has undergone various reclassifications. Molecular phylogenetics analyses have shown that Puttea margaritella does not align closely with genera like Fellhanera or Micarea, but its precise familial placement remains uncertain. Puttea is characterized by an indistinct, lichenized thallus composed of delicate fungal filaments and small algal cells. Its minute, round, whitish apothecia lack a distinct margin, and the asci, or spore-producing cells, are thick-walled, club-shaped, and contain eight spores, showing specific reactions with iodine-based stains. The type species of the genus, Puttea margaritella, typically inhabits boreal forests, growing on the liverwort species Ptilidium pulcherrimum and sometimes on decaying wood or bark. Initially thought to be confined to Europe, it has since been found in North America, particularly in Alaska and Québec, extending its known range. The species is parasitic, damaging its host, and is considered rare within its distribution.
Sticta torii is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Found in northwestern North America, it was formally described as a new species in 2018 by the lichenologists Antoine Simon and Trevor Goward, from specimens collected in Alaska. The species epithet honours the Norwegian lichenologist Tor Tønsberg, "in recognition of his outstanding, vigorous contribution to lichenology".
Biatora chrysanthoides is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), leprose lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in Norway, the Pacific Northwest of northern North America, Sweden, and Russia. It was formally described as a new species in 2003 by the lichenologists Christian Printzen and Tor Tønsberg. It contains gyrophoric acid in both the thallus and the apothecia, resulting in a C+ chemical spot test reaction. Its ascospores are 9.3–10.7 by 3.2–3.3 μm.
Ochrolechia gowardii is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Ochrolechiaceae. First described in 1991 by the Canadian lichenologist Irwin M. Brodo, this lichen is characterised by its very thin, yellowish-white body (thallus) that partially embeds into tree bark. O. gowardii has small, powdery structures (soralia) that produce asexual reproductive granules, and its disc-like fruiting bodies (apothecia) with pale yellow-orange to light orange centres. O. gowardii can be found in parts of northwestern North America and Scandinavia, typically growing on subalpine fir or Norway spruce trees.
