Peacock Vinyl Lichen (Scytinium syn. Leptogium polycarpum)

Resources

• BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer Entry
• Biodiversity Galiano iNaturalist Observations

Status

• BC: Yellow – S4 (2018)
• COSEWIC: Special Concern
• SARA: Special Concern
• Global: Not Ranked
• Galiano Island Status: Confirmed

Description

Dark greyish-brown foliose lichen with a gelatinous skin and partly sunken spore-bearing bodies.

Habitat

Grows on the mossy branches of deciduous trees, with bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) being the most common host.

Range

Occurs along the Pacific coast from northern British Columbia south to northern California.  Known from at least 22 populations in British Columbia.

Threats

Threats include logging and wood harvesting, aerosol pollutions, and climate change.

Galiano Status

Several populations have been documented across Galiano Island.