SPECIES FACT SHEET
Common Name: granular rock tripe, hairy navel lichen
Scientific Name: Umbilicaria hirsuta (Sw. ex Westr.) Hoffm.
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Ascomycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Umbilicariaceae
Technical Description: Thallus 2-5 cm diameter, attached to rock substrate
by a single holdfast (umbilicate), usually single-lobed, lobe margins lacerated
and often down-turned, pale brownish grey. Upper cortex disintegrating into
flakes and granular soredia close to margins; isidia absent; lower surface pale
pinkish brown to darker but not sooty, covered densely with rhizines.
Perithecia and apothecia unknown.
Chemistry: medulla K-, C+ red, KC+ red, P-.
Distinctive Characters: Light grey-brown umbilicate lichen with upper surface
disintegrating into flakes and soredia near the edges. The soredia are not
always obvious and often look like deteriorated cortex. Similar species:
Umbilicaria deusta has fine isidia on the upper surface that may be confused
with soredia, but it has dark brown upper and lower surfaces and the lower
surface is smooth to pitted but not rhizinate. Umbilicaria americana and U.
vellea are light-colored on top, rarely have apothecia, have rhizines on the
lower surface, and upper cortices without soredia (Brodo et al. 2001). Several
other species of Umbilicaria have pale rhizines but they usually have apothecia,
and their lower surfaces are often sooty black. Species of Dermatocarpon have a
similar grey-brown upper cortex, but they usually have urn-shaped immersed
fruiting bodies (perithecia), made apparent by small black dots on the surface
of the cortex, and they lack soredia on the upper cortex. In Oregon, the only
Dermatocarpon species with rhizines is D. moulinsii. Other descriptions and
illustrations: Hinds and Hinds (2007): 481; Kofranek and McCune (2008),
McCune and Geiser (2009), Nash et al. (2004): 552; Purvis et al. (1992): 618.
Life History: Details for Umbilicaria hirsuta are not documented. Presumably
it spreads by soredia on animal vectors or in seeping water. Radial growth of
Umbilicaria thalli in alpine Norway was on the order of 1 to 3 mm per year
(Hestmark et al. 2007).
Range, Distribution, and Abundance: Europe, Asia, North America. In North
America with a mainly northeastern distribution but scattered in the Rocky
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Mountains and Pacific coast ranges. In the Pacific Northwest, known from
Alaska, Oregon, Montana, and California.
National Forests: none documented; suspected on Rogue River-Siskiyou and
Umpqua NFs because of similar habitat. BLM Districts: documented on
Medford District; suspected on Roseburg District because of similar habitat,
suspected on Spokane District because of unspecified report from Grand
Coolee (Ryan, 1994).
Habitat Associations: The single known population in Oregon occurs on the
vertical face of an igneous rock outcrop (noncalcareous) with an intermittent
seep, in partial shade (Kofranek and McCune 2008). Elsewhere, reportedly on
siliceous, steeply inclined surfaces with perennial seeping water (Nash et al.
2004).
Threats: Disturbance of the single known occurrence in any way could
decimate this small population. It is difficult to know if thinning the
surrounding forest would be beneficial or harmful. Fire is known to kill lichens.
The population is associated with an intermittent seep, so disturbance of the
water table in the area could also destroy the habitat.
Conservation Considerations: Monitor the status of the known population.
Search for new populations in appropriate habitat on federal and state lands.
Surveys in suitable habitat and protection of known site should be a priority.
Conservation rankings: Global : G2G4; National: NNR; Oregon Natural
Heritage Information Center: List 3 (S1).
Preparer: Daphne Stone, with edits from John A. Christy
Date Completed: March 2009
References:
Brodo, I.M, Sharnoff, S.D., & S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale
University Press, New Haven and London. 795 pp.
Hestmark, G., O. Skogesal and Ø. Skullerud. 2007. Early recruitment equals
long-term relative abundance in an alpine saxicolous lichen guild. Mycologia
99(2): 207-214.
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Hinds, J. W. & P. L. Hinds. 2007. The Macrolichens of New England. Memoirs
of the New York Botanical Garden: 96: 1-584.
Kofranek, D. & B. McCune. 2008. Umbilicaria hirsuta (lichenized Ascomycetes)
new to Oregon. North American Fungi 3(1):1-3.
http://www.pnwfungi.org/pdf_files/manuscripts_volume_3/pnwf20081.pdf.
Accessed 24 March 2009.
McCune, B. & L. Geiser. 2009. Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd
Edition. Oregon State University Press. Corvallis, Oregon. 464 pp.
Nash, T. H., B. Ryan, P. Diederich, C. Gries & F. Bungartz. 2004. Lichen Flora
of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Volume 2. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona
State University, Tempe, AZ. 742 pp.
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. Accessed 7 January
2009.
Purvis, O,W., B.J. Coppins, D.L. Hawksworth, P.W. James & D.M. Moore (eds.).
1992. The Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland. Natural History
Museum Publications, London. 710 p.
Ryan, B. 1994. East side lichen report for Oregon and Washington.
http://www.icbemp.gov/science/scirpte.html. Accessed 22 April 2009.
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Umbilicaria hirsuta thallus showing upper cortex with granular soredia
and lacerate margins on left, lower surface with rhizines on right. Color
is inaccurate. Photo by Daphne Stone 2009.
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