Letharia

Letharia is an eye catching genus of fruticose[1] lichen belonging to the suborder Lecanorineae,[2] distributed ubiquitously on all continents except Antarctica.

Letharia
Letharia vulpina in the San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles USA.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Ascomycota
Class:
Lecanoromycetes
Subclass:
Lecanoromycetidae
Order:
Lecanorales (incl. Ascolichen)
Suborder:
Lecanorineae
Genus:
Letharia

(Motyka) Krog
Type species
Letharia vulpina
(L.) Hue

There were historically two species of Letharia: L. vulpina and L. columbiana.[3]

Recent molecular sequence studies published in 2016 confirm at least 6 species in Western North America alone, with more expected to be confirmed using similar methods in other parts of the world.[4]

References
  1. Sharon Eversman, "Lichens in Yellowstone Park", Plan Your Visit, National Park Service
  2. C.J. Alexopolous, Charles W. Mims, M. Blackwell, Introductory Mycology, 4th ed. (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken NJ, 2004) ISBN 0-471-52229-5
  3. Brodo, Irwin (2001). Lichens of North America. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 411–413.
  4. Altermann, Susanne; Leavitt, Steven D.; Goward, Trevor (September 2016). "Tidying up the genus Letharia: introducing L. lupina sp. nov. and a new circumscription for L. columbiana". The Lichenologist. 48 (5): 423–439. doi:10.1017/S0024282916000396. ISSN 0024-2829.
Here, Letharia vulpina is visualized using a infrared spectrometry. The chlorophyll in the Fir needles reflects near infrared wavelengths of light, but the green vulpinic acid of the wolf lichen does not.


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