Lecanora albella is a crustose lichen, a lichen that grows as a thin crust tightly fixed to its surface. It belongs to the family Lecanoraceae, within the order Lecanorales and the class Lecanoromycetes.
Lichens such as this one are fungi that live in partnership with photosynthetic partners, and Lecanora albella is one of the many members of its genus that make up the crust-forming lichens of the world.
Its classification places it firmly among the Ascomycota, the sac fungi, which makes it a useful entry point for readers curious about how lichens fit into fungal diversity.
Distribution and Habitat
Lecanora albella has been documented in observation data across its range, and its occurrences show a clear seasonal pattern. Mapped occurrences are highest in July, followed closely by August, and are lowest in February.
These occurrences are presence points, so the pattern shows when the lichen is most often seen and documented, not how many individuals exist at any one time or the full extent of where it grows.
Photos
Photographs from via iNaturalist, licensed under CC0 1.0., by hallidayjane via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Linda Lötjönen via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by aarongunnar via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., and by Valerii Darmostuk via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., credited on each photo.
Ecology and classification
Classification
- Phylum
- Ascomycota
- Class
- Lecanoromycetes
- Order
- Lecanorales
- Family
- Lecanoraceae
- Genus
- Lecanora
- Species
- Lecanora albella
Sources
- GBIF Species names and classification
- iNaturalist Photos
- Wikidata Common names and conservation status
- Wikipedia Summary extract
