Lecanora gangaleoides is a crustose lichen first described as new to science by William Nylander in 1872, a classification that has held for well over a century.
It belongs to the family Lecanoraceae within the class Lecanoromycetes and the phylum Ascomycota, placing it among the fungi that form lichen partnerships. As a crustose lichen, it grows tightly fused to its substrate rather than forming leafy or shrubby structures.
The species offers a window into a lineage of lichens whose classification has remained stable since the nineteenth century, a reminder of how enduring careful taxonomic work can be.
Fruiting Body and Identification
Lecanora gangaleoides grows as a crustose lichen, meaning its thallus forms a crust that adheres closely and inseparably to the rock or substrate it colonizes.
Distribution and Habitat
Lecanora gangaleoides has been recorded across a range that spans multiple regions, with presence observations gathered throughout the year. Monthly observation counts show more records from spring through late summer, peaking around July, with fewer observations in November and December.
These patterns reflect observation activity rather than the lichen's actual abundance or a complete picture of its range, since the counts are presence records only and not a measure of population size.
Fun Facts
- Lecanora gangaleoides was formally described by the lichenologist William Nylander in 1872.
- It has been documented in the United States, including records compiled by researchers such as W.A. Weber and Bratt in 1986.
- Records of this species have been supported by infrastructure projects like Symbiota, funded through U.S. National Science Foundation awards, which help track and share occurrence data for lichens like this one.
Photos
Photographs from via iNaturalist, licensed under CC0 1.0., by Barry Stewart via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by W Rao via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Jamie O'Neill via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Millie Basden via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., by Alan Rockefeller via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY 4.0., and by James C. Davis via iNaturalist, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0., credited on each photo.
Ecology and classification
Classification
- Phylum
- Ascomycota
- Class
- Lecanoromycetes
- Order
- Lecanorales
- Family
- Lecanoraceae
- Genus
- Lecanora
- Species
- Lecanora gangaleoides
Sources
- GBIF Species names and classification
- iNaturalist Photos
- Wikidata Common names and conservation status
- Wikipedia Summary extract
