Punctelia perreticulata

Punctelia perreticulata
Growing on pitch pine in Massachusetts, USA
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Parmeliaceae
Genus: Punctelia
Species:
P. perreticulata
Binomial name
Punctelia perreticulata
(Räsänen) G.Wilh. & Ladd (1987)
Synonyms
  • Parmelia duboscqii var. perreticulata Räsänen (1944)
  • Parmelia perreticulata (Räsänen) Hale (1959)

Punctelia perreticulata is a widely distributed species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It occurs in Mediterranean Europe and Russia, North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, where it grows on rocks, bark, or wood. Its main distinguishing features are its thallus surface, marked with many shallow depressions, grooves, or pits, and sorediate pseudocyphellae. The lower side of the thallus is ivory to tan towards the centre and the major secondary metabolite in the medulla is lecanoric acid. A lookalike species with which it has been historically confused is Punctelia subrudecta; this lichen can be distinguished from Punctelia perreticulata by the texture of the thallus surface, or, more reliably, by the length of its conidia (asexual spores).