SPECIES FACT SHEET
Common Name: Japanese centipede lichen
Scientific Name: Heterodermia japonica
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Physciaceae
Technical Description: Thalli foliose, with discrete upper and lower
surface (cortex). Photosynthetic partner (photobiont, phycobiont) is a
green alga. Thallus to 5 cm wide, irregularly branched, matte whitish,
cream-colored, or brownish. Thallus lobes to 10 mm long, 2-3 (4) mm
wide, appressed, widening toward the tips, these sometimes with chalky
surficial deposits (pruina), the margins of the lobes sometimes with
lobules, the surfaces of lobes with or without crescent-shaped patches of
powdery to granular soredia (soralia) that sometimes extend along the
margins. Lower surface of thallus mostly lacking a cortex, the surface
wooly under 10 x magnification, white near the margins but brown to
bluish-black near the center, often with small spots of brown or orangered pigment near the lobe tips. Marginal cilia 1-3 (7) mm long, black,
straight or bent at right angles. Apothecia rare.
Chemistry: upper surface of thallus K+ yellow to red, P+ orange; medulla
K+ yellow to red and P+ yellow or orange; lower surface of thallus K-,
spots of pigment K+ purple. With atranorin, zeorin; with or without
norstictic acid and salacinic acid (McCune 2003a).
Distinctive characters: (1) matte whitish thallus (2) expanded lobe tips
often with soralia often on the surface or extending to the margins, (3)
underside of thallus lacking a cortex, purple-black, with spots of brown
or orange-red pigment. Similar species: Heterodermia leucomela has (1)
long (20-30 mm), tangled, suberect dichotomously branched lobes 1.01.5 mm wide, (2) soralia scattered on the undersides of the lobes or lobe
tips, and (3) black marginal cilia often exceeding 2 mm in length.
Heterodermia sitchensis has (1) short (to 10 mm), flat lobes, (2) soralia
restricted to abortive apothecia, and (3) marginal cilia less than 2 mm
long. Other descriptions and illustrations: McCune 2003a; Moberg and
Purvis 1997: 189; Moberg and Nash 1999: 5; Moberg 2004: 455.
Life History: Details for Heterodermia japonica are not documented.
Apothecia are rare and therefore dispersal is mostly restricted to
vegetative propagation via soredia, litterfall, and fragmentation. Its
occurrence on exposed headlands may indicate some need for habitat
disturbance by wind and creation of canopy gaps. Habitat on twigs is a
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changing and highly competitive environment. Goward and Wright (2006)
speculated that individual thalli of the closely-related Heterodermia
sitchensis, which shares habitat with H. japonica at Cape Lookout, last
only 10-15 years before being overrun by other species.
Range, Distribution, and Abundance: Warm temperate, pantropical to
subtropical. In the Pacific Northwest, known only from coastal Oregon
(McHenry & Tønsberg 2002; McCune 2003a). Arizona, New Mexico, UK,
Europe, Macaronesia, Africa, Mexico, South America, Asia.
National Forests: none documented; suspected on the Siuslaw NF.
Suspected in Olympic National Park. BLM Districts: none documented,
suspected on the Coos Bay, Eugene, and Salem districts.
Rare, probably undercollected.
Habitat: In the Pacific Northwest, currently known only from twigs of
Picea sitchensis in old-growth, fog-drenched coastal headland forest
(Cape Lookout State Park, Tillamook County, Oregon; and Clear Lake, 5
km N of Florence, Lane County, Oregon). At the single known site it cooccurs with other rare lichens such as Heterodermia leucomela,
Heterodermia sitchensis, Hypotrachyna revoluta, and Teloschistes
flavicans. Elevation is below 2000 feet. Forest types are Picea sitchensis
and Tsuga heterophylla associations. In other parts of its range it also
occurs over mosses on rocks in both shaded and exposed habitats.
Threats: Air pollution, housing developments, trail work, and
overcollecting may be the primary threats to Heterodermia japonica.
Coastal headland forests are at risk from air pollution because of fog
penetration and patterns of prevailing winds, even on the outer coast
(McCune 2003b; Klopatek et al. 2006). The single known locality is a
state park with a popular hiking trail that could cause overcollecting.
Teloschistes flavicans has been collected repeatedly along this trail for
about 30 years but is still not difficult to find. Given the apparent affinity
of Heterodermia for old-growth, most coastal stands are already in some
form of protection.
Conservation Considerations: Consider revisiting all known localities
and monitoring the status of populations. Search for new populations on
federal lands. Surveys in suitable habitat and protection of known sites
should be a priority. The best opportunity for conservation would be on
federal land and in state parks where management for old-growth is
possible in areas along the immediate coast. Cascade Head and Cape
Meares are other potential sites that contain suitable old-growth spruce
in federal ownership.
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Conservation rankings: Global: G5; National: NNR. Oregon Natural
Heritage Information Center: List 2 (S1).
Preparer: John A. Christy, with edits from Daphne Stone
Date Completed: December 2007; updated January and March 2009. March 2009
updated added Attachment 2 (Map of Oregon and Washington locations).
ATTACHMENTS:
(1)
(2)
List of References
Map of locations of Heterodermia japonica in Oregon and
Washington
Attachment 1 – List of References
Links are provided below to guide you to additional information that
might be helpful in understanding this species. Included are links to
illustrations, photographs, maps and ranking information used to
determine threats and status by State Heritage Programs.
Goward, T. & K.G. Wright. 2006. COSEWIC assessment and update
status report on the seaside centipede lichen Heterodermia sitchensis
in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada, Ottawa. 28 pp.
http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/cosewic/sr%5Fseasi
de%5Fcentipede%5Flichen%5Fe%2Epdf
Klopatek, J.M., M.J. Barry & D.W. Johnson. 2006. Potential canopy
interception of nitrogen in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Forest Ecology
and Management 234: 344-354.
McCune, B. 2003a. Key to Heterodermia in the Pacific Northwest. Revised
March 2003.
http://oregonstate.edu/~mccuneb/Heterodermia.pdf
_______. 2003b. An unusual ammonia-affected lichen community on the
Oregon coast. Evansia 20: 132-137.
McHenry, G. & T. Tønsberg. 2002. Heterodermia sitchensis found in
Oregon, U.S.A. Evansia 19: 158-160. [including reports for H.
japonica].
Moberg, R. 2004. The lichen genus Heterodermia in Europe and the
Macaronesian Islands. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 88: 453-463.
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_______ & T.H. Nash. 1999. The genus Heterodermia in the Sonoran
Desert area. Bryologist 102: 1-14.
_______ & W. Purvis. 1997. Studies on the lichens of the Azores. Part 4.
The genus Heterodermia (Physciaceae). Symbolae Botanicae
Upsalienses 32 (1): 187-194.
Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center. 2007. Rare, threatened and
endangered species of Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information
Center, Oregon State University. Portland. 100 pp.
http://oregonstate.edu/ornhic/2007_t&e_book.pdf
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Attachment 2 - Map of locations of Heterodermia japonica in
Oregon and Washington
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