This is a list of common names of lichen genera. When a

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

for a

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

is the same as the

scientific name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

for that genus, it is not included in the following list. This list only includes genera common names that are widely used, as indicated by the common name either appearing in a peer reviewed scientific publication or in a scientifically reliable reference source. A common name for a lichen genus will often uniquely refer to that genus, but not always. Sometimes the same common name may refer to several different genera, which may not be related by sharing common

ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...

. An example is that " wart lichen" refers to at least five different genera in four different

families 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 of its members and of society. Ideal ...

.USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Name Search
/ref> Sometimes the same genus may have more than one widely used common name. For example, members of the genus ''

Staurothele ''Staurothele'' is a genus of saxicolous lichen, saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens in the family Verrucariaceae. It has about 40 species. When the fungus is part of a lichen, the genus of lichen is List of common names of lichen gener ...

'' are commonly called " wart lichens", and also "

rock pimples ''Staurothele'' is a genus of saxicolous lichen, saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichens in the family Verrucariaceae. It has about 40 species. When the fungus is part of a lichen, the genus of lichen is List of common names of lichen gener ...

". Lichen genus common names my come from the

shape A shape or figure is a graphics, graphical representation of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material type. A pl ...

, color, or other feature of some members of a genus. Other members may not share that trait, but are still referred to by the common name for the genus. For example, ''

Caloplaca albovariegata ''Caloplaca albovariegata'', the variegated orange lichen, is a gray, blue-gray, or dark green crustose lichen, crustose areolate lichen that grows on rocks in areas of western North America such as Arizona and California. It is common in the Moj ...

'' is an

orange lichen ''Caloplaca'' is a lichen genus comprising a number of distinct species. Members of the genus are commonly called firedot lichen, jewel lichen.Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, gold lichens, "ora ...

, but it is not orange in color.

Lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

common names In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

are often the same as the common name of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

they are in, or are a modification of that common name by adding an adjective. But sometimes the parts of a lichen species common name are common names of ''other'' lichen genera. For example, ''

Psilolechia lucida ''Psilolechia lucida'' is a species of saxicolous lichen in the family Psilolechiaceae. It is widely distributed through the world, where it grows on natural and artificial rocky substrates in the shade, often in sheltered underhangs. It forms a ...

'', in the genus ''

Psilolechia ''Psilolechia'' is a genus of four species of crustose lichens. It is the only member of Psilolechiaceae, a family that was created in 2014 to contain this genus. Taxonomy The genus ''Psilolechia'' was established by Abramo Bartolommeo Massalong ...

'', is commonly called "sulphur dust lichen".Sulphur Dust Lichen (Psilolechia lucida), Encyclopedia of Life
/ref> But " sulphur lichen" refers to the genus '' Fulgensia'', and "

dust lichen Dust lichens are lichens in either the genus Chrysothrix or genus Lepraria ''Lepraria'' is a genus of leprose crustose lichens that grows on its substrate like patches of granular, caked up, mealy dust grains.A taxonomic revision of the Nort ...

" refers either to the genus ''

Chrysothrix ''Chrysothrix'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Chrysothricaceae. They are commonly called gold dust lichens or sulfur dust lichens,Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, because th ...

'' or the genus ''

Lepraria ''Lepraria'' is a genus of leprose crustose lichens that grows on its substrate like patches of granular, caked up, mealy dust grains.A taxonomic revision of the North American species of Lepraria s.l. that produce divaricatic acid, with note ...

''. Sulphur Lichen (Fulgensia), Encyclopedia of Life
/ref>Dust Lichen (Chrysothrix), Encyclopedia of Life
/ref>Dust Lichen (Lepraria), Encyclopedia of Life
/ref>

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

References