''Dibaeis baeomyces'', commonly known as pink earth lichen, is a fruticose

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Icmadophilaceae The Icmadophilaceae are a family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being ...

Taxonomy

Carl Linnaeus the Younger described the pink earth lichen in his 1782 work ''

Supplementum Plantarum ', commonly abbreviated to ' or just ', and further abbreviated by botanists to ''Suppl. Pl.'', is a 1782 book by Carolus Linnaeus the Younger. Written entirely in Latin, it was intended as a supplement to the 1737 ' and the 1753 ', both written b ...

'' as ''Lichen baeomyces''. The genus ''Dibaeis '' was previously considered a synonym of genus ''Baeomyces'', until genetic testing established that the genera were separate and not even especially closely related. ''D. baeomyces'' was one of the species which had its rDNA sequenced by both the 1997 study by Stenroos and DePriest published in the '' American Journal of Botany'', and the 1999 study by Platt and Spatafora published in ''The Lichenologist'', which both established the genera as genetically and morphologically distinct. ''D. baeomyces'' was, however, found to belong to a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

that also includes ''

Siphula ceratites ''Siphula'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the Icmadophilaceae family. The widespread genus contains about 33 species. ''Siphula'' was circumscribed by Swedish mycologist Elias Fries in 1831. Species *'' Siphula abbatiana'' *'' Siphula abs ...

'' and ''

Thamnolia vermicularis ''Thamnolia'' is a genus of lichens in the family Icmadophilaceae. Members of the genus are commonly called whiteworm lichens. Two species of ''Thamnolia'' are used by ethnic peoples of Yunnan Province (China) as a component of purported hea ...

''. ''

Baeomyces rufus ''Baeomyces rufus'', commonly known as the brown beret lichen, is a fruticose lichen belonging to the cap lichen family, Baeomycetaceae. The species was first described by J.F Rebentisch in 1804. Like other lichens, it is a symbiosis between a f ...

'', in particular, was noted as having been determined to be phylogenetically distant from ''D. baeomyces'' by Stenroos's and DePriest's analysis of genetic data. A subsequent study by Platt and Spatafora, published in the journal ''Mycologia'' in 2000, used further DNA sequencing assays to establish that "Baeomycetaceae o which ''B. rufus'' belongsis a distinct taxon from the Icmadophilaceae o which ''D. baeomyces'' belongsand the two families represent independent lichenization events."

Description

''D. baeomyces'' is characterized by bulbous pink apothecia, 1–4 mm in diameter, atop stalks no taller than 6 mm. The thallus may be grey or white, and may have a pinkish tinge.

Similar species

''D. baeomyces'' is related to ''

Icmadophila ericetorum ''Icmadophila ericetorum'' is a species of lichen belonging to the family Icmadophilaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of ...

'', the candy lichen, and the two species superficially resemble one another. Its appearance is also superficially similar to some '' Cladonia'' species, particularly ''

Cladonia cristatella ''Cladonia cristatella'', commonly known as the British soldiers lichen or the British soldiers cup lichen, is a fruticose, cup lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae. The species was first described scientifically by American botanist E ...

'' (common name British soldiers), which has red tips rather than pink; and to multiple ''

Baeomyces ''Baeomyces'' is a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Baeomycetaceae. Members of ''Baeomyces'' are commonly called cap lichens. The genus was circumscribed by German mycologist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1794. Although Persoon did not de ...

'' species, which typically have brown tips. ''B. rufus'', as mentioned above, has pinkish bulbs atop its stalks, like ''D. baeomyces'', but like other ''Baeomyces'' species it has been established as not being closely related to ''D. baeomyces''.

Distribution and habitat

This lichen is found throughout eastern North America, from Alabama and Georgia in the south to the Arctic Circle in the north. While rare there, it does occur in both Alaska and the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

. It prefers to grow directly on unstable soils such as loose sand or dry clay, and in full sun. It also prefers acid soils to neutral or alkaline. On disturbed ground, a preferred habitat type, it is able to spread quickly for a lichen.

References

{{Taxonbar , from=Q2166446 Lecanorales Lichen species Lichens of the Arctic Lichens described in 1782 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus the Younger