''Hypogymnia hultenii'' is a species of foliose (leafy)
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Parmeliaceae. It was first described as ''Cavernularia hultenii'' by Swedish lichenologist Gunnar Degelius in 1937.Hildur Krog transferred it to the genus ''
Hypogymnia
''Hypogymnia'' is a genus of foliose lichens in the family Parmeliaceae. They are commonly known as tube lichens, bone lichens, or pillow lichens. Most species lack rhizines (root-like attachment organs on the lower surface) that are otherwise c ...
'' in 1951.
Habitat and distribution
''Hypogymnia hultenii'' is found exclusively in cool coastal coniferous forests, due to it mainly growing on the small twigs of such trees. Its three populations exist in North America's Pacific Northwest forests, the coast of Labrador and Nova Scotia, as well as the forests of central Norway.
The origin of the disjunct populations of ''Hypogymnia hultenii'' is still being researched. It is likely that it is due to its once undisturbed range during the Pliocene being fragmented by glaciers. This is supported by its incredibly slow rate of genetic drift, which has prevented
speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution within ...