Peltigera is a genus of approximately 100 species of foliose lichens in the family Peltigeraceae. Commonly known as the dog or pelt lichens, species of Peltigera are often terricolous, but can also occur on moss, trees, rocks, and many other substrates in many parts of the world.
Vernon Ahmadjian was a distinguished professor at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He specialized in the symbiosis of lichens, and wrote several books and numerous publications on the subject.
Peltigerales is an order of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. The taxonomy of the group has seen numerous changes; it was formerly often treated as a suborder of the order Lecanorales. It contains two suborders, eight families and about 45 genera such as Lobaria and Peltigera.
Peltigera leucophlebia is a lichenized fungus in the family Peltigeraceae. It is commonly called ruffled freckled pelt. This and other species in the genus contain a green algae in the genus Coccomyxa and also cyanobacteria in the genus Nostoc as symbionts.
Nephroma is a genus of medium to large foliose lichens. The genus has a widespread distribution. They are sometimes called kidney lichens, named after the characteristic kidney-shaped apothecia that they produce on the lower surface of their lobe tips, which often curl upwards and thus are visible from above. Sterile specimens that do not have apothecia can look somewhat like Melanelia, Peltigera, Platismatia, or Asahinea. Most species grow either on mossy ground or rocks, or on trees.
Peltigera membranacea is a species of lichenized fungus in the family Peltigeraceae. It has a foliose growth pattern, with what appear to be veins in the leaf-like parts, but these do not have a vascular function. The apothecia are erect, numerous, and often a bright brown-orange in colour. Some simple sequence repeat markers have been developed for both the fungal partner (mycobiont) of Peltigera membranacea and its Nostoc photobiont partner; these allow for both population genetic studies and an alternative means of identifying between P. membranacea and its lookalikes.
Peltigera aphthosa is a species of lichen known by the common names green dog lichen, leafy lichen, felt lichen, and common freckle pelt. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring throughout the Arctic, boreal, and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Peltigera vainioi is a species of lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It is found in high-elevation locations in South America. It is a somewhat unusual species in its genus, characterized by a single holdfast that attaches to its substrate, and pores in its cortex.
Peltigera lepidophora, commonly known as the scaly pelt, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It was first described by Finnish lichenologist Edvard August Vainio in 1878 as a variety of Peltigera canina. German botanist Friedrich August Georg Bitter promoted it to species status in 1904.
Peltigera lepidophora, commonly known as the fan lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum as Lichen venosus. German botanist Georg Franz Hoffmann transferred it to the genus Peltigera in 1789. P. venosa can be found in temperate and boreal regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, while occasionally being found in drier climates such as mountainous Arizona.
Peltigera degenii is a species of foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. It was first formally described in 1927 by Hungarian lichenologist Vilmos Kőfaragó-Gyelnik. The Chinese species Peltigera neodegenii is similar in appearance. Peltigera degenii has a shiny upper surface. In North America, it is a relatively rare forest species.
Cladonia coccifera or madame's cup lichen is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Swedish lichenologist Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum. German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow transferred it to the genus Cladonia in 1787. The lichen has apothecia and bright red pycnidia atop of yellowish to grey-green podetia that are 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) high. The base of the thallus comprises rounded squamules (scales) with a yellow to orange-brown undersurface. It typically occurs on acidic peaty and sandy soils.
Cladonia gracilis or the smooth cup lichen is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described as a new species by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum. German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow transferred it to the genus Cladonia in 1787. In North America, it is known colloquially as the "smooth Cladonia".
Peltigera gowardii, or western waterfan, is an aquatic lichen found only in mountain streams of Western North America. It is the largest aquatic lichen in the Pacific Northwest.
Peltigera papuana is a lichenized fungus in the family Peltigeraceae. It was described in 2009 from Madang Province of Papua New Guinea, from which it obtained its specific epithet. Genetic analysis of both the mycobiont and the photobiont, which is a Nostoc cyanobacterium, suggests that the evolutionary origin of Pelitgera papuana is from an ancient dispersal event from South America, although this remains inconclusive.
Parmelina quercina is a species of foliose lichen in the large family Parmeliaceae. It is found in continental Europe.
Peltigera rufescens, commonly known as the field dog lichen, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The common and widespread species has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Peltigera shennongjiana is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), foliose lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. Found in Central China, it was formally described as a new species in 2016 by Liu-Fu Han and Shou-Yu Guo. The type specimen was collected from Laojunshan Mountain in the Shennongjia Forestry District at an altitude of 900 m (3,000 ft); here it was found growing on mosses over rocks and soil. The species epithet refers to the type locality.
Solorina crocea, commonly known as the orange chocolate chip lichen, is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling) and foliose (leafy) lichen in the family Peltigeraceae. The lichen, which was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, has an arctic–alpine and circumpolar distribution and occurs in Asia, Europe, North America, and New Zealand. It generally grows on the bare ground in sandy soils, often in moist soil near snow patches or seepage areas. Although several forms and varieties of the lichen have been proposed in its history, these are not considered to have any independent taxonomic significance.
