''Peltigera leucophlebia'' is a lichenized fungus in the family

Peltigeraceae The Peltigeraceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales. The Peltigeraceae, which contains 15 genera and about 600 species, has recently (2018) been emended to include the families Lobariaceae and Nephromataceae. Many Peltigeraceae sp ...

. It is commonly called ruffled freckled pelt. This and other species in the genus contain a

green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...

in the genus '' Coccomyxa'' and also

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

in the genus ''

Nostoc ''Nostoc'', also known as star jelly, troll’s butter, spit of moon, fallen star, witch's butter (not to be confused with the fungi commonly known as witches' butter), and witch’s jelly, is the most common genus of cyanobacteria found in vari ...

'' as symbionts.

Description

The

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...

of this lichen is gray or brown, but when it is wet, the bright green algae are clearly visible. The lower surface of the thallus is white.

Distribution

This species is found in North America, Asia, and Europe. In North America, it is found in most of Alaska and Canada, the Great Lakes region, New England, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific coast.

Ecology

''Peltigera leucophlebia'' is a known host for the microfungus '' Pyrenidium actinellum''.Helgi Hallgrímsson & Guðríður Gyða Eyjólfsdóttir (2004)
''Íslenskt sveppatal I - smásveppir'' [Checklist of Icelandic Fungi I - Microfungi
Fjölrit Náttúrufræðistofnunar. Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History]. ISSN 1027-832X

Uses

In Iceland, ''Peltigera leucophlebia'' was traditionally used to make porridge.

Chemistry

''Peltigera leucophlebia'' is known to contain tenuiorin, methylgyrophorate and

gyrophoric acid Gyrophoric acid is a depside that can be found in the lichen ''Cryptothecia rubrocincta'' and in '' Xanthoparmelia pokomyi''. It can also be found in most of the species of the '' Actinogyra'', ''Lasallia'', and ''Umbilicaria'' genera. See also ...

. The

turns an

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

colour when performing during a K spot test.Flóra Íslands lora of Iceland(no year)
Dílaskóf - ''Peltigera leucophlebia''
(in Icelandic). Retrieved on April 14th 2021.

Gallery

Image:Peltigera leucophlebia 300808.jpg, ''Peltigera leucophlebia'' Zillertaler Alpen, Italy Image:Peltigera leucophlebia 300808a.jpg, ''Peltigera leucophlebia'' Zillertaler Alpen, Italy Image:PeltigeraleucophlebiaDayton.jpg, ''Peltigera leucophlebia'' near North Fork Mountain, West Virginia, USA. Open maple - red oak - black birch forest.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7161752 leucophlebia Lichen species Lichens described in 1860 Lichens of Asia Lichens of Europe Lichens of North America Lichens of Iceland Lichens of Canada Fungi without expected TNC conservation status Taxa named by William Nylander (botanist)