Lichens; Mosses, Liverworts & Hornworts
Lichens
Sighting 3374914

Cladia sp. (genus)

Hughes, ACT

Cladia sp. (genus) at Hughes, ACT - 25 Mar 2017 05:19 PM
Cladia sp. (genus) at Hughes, ACT - 25 Mar 2017 05:19 PM
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Identification history

Cladia sp. (genus) 28 Mar 2017 Heino
Cladia sp. (genus) 28 Mar 2017 Heino
Unverified 26 Mar 2017 ruthkerruish

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User's notes

A few showers of rain and there are out, a few days of sun and they are gone!

3 comments

ruthkerruish wrote:
   28 Mar 2017
Is this a lichen? Cladia sp. or Heterodea sp.?
Heino wrote:
   28 Mar 2017
Heterodea is now a synonym of Cladia. This might be Cladia muelleri. Though you say they are out with the rain and gone after a few days of sun - the latter is not in fact the case. In dry conditions this lichen curls up, shrivels a bit and becomes dormant, so all you see is the dark underside, which is very easy to overlook in the leaf/twig litter in which this species is often found. After some rain, the lichen uncurls, the upper surface (dull when dry) becomes a brighter green, very easily visible and the algal partner then gets back to photosynthesizing. It is quite astounding how well, what is say the size of an outstretched hand when moist, can hide when dry. When dry the lichen is very brittle, but it is pliable when moist.
ruthkerruish wrote:
   28 Mar 2017
Thank you for the information.

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Location information

Sighting information

Species information

  • Cladia sp. (genus) Scientific name
  • Common name
  • Not Sensitive
  • Local native
  • Non-invasive or negligible
  • Up to 1008.61m Recorded at altitude
  • Machine learning
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