E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Parmelia omphalodes (L.) Ach.
Smoker's crottle
Parmeliaceae

Introduction to the Lichens
Once images have been obtained, photographs of this species will be displayed in this window.Click on the image to enter our photo gallery.
Currently no image is available for this taxon.
E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Parmelia omphalodes
Details about map content are available here
Click on the map dots to view record details.

Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria map

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.



Illustration By: Trevor Goward

General:
Medium stratified foliose lichens, corticate above and below, sorediate or isidiate or not, checkered pseudocyphellate (in BC), lobes loosely attached to rather closely appressed, elongate, averaging to 1.5–10 mm wide, thin. Upper surface whitish or pale greyish blue, somewhat shiny. Lower surface blackening, shiny, bearing short or rather long, simple or branched rhizines. Medulla white. Photobiont green. Apothecia located over upper surface, disc brown; spores simple, ellipsoid, colourless, 8 per ascus. Over rock and trees.

Notes: Parmelia is primarily a boreal and temperate genus consisting of 39 species worldwide. Eight of these are reported for North America and seven occur in B.C. As originally circumscribed by Acharius in 1803, Parmelia encompassed an enormous assemblage of foliose lichens, including Lobaria, Pannaria and Xanthoria. Beginning in the latter half of the 19th century, and apparently concluding only in the past decade, lichenologists have divided Parmelia into dozens of new genera, most of which are now widely accepted. Local species accommodated until recently in Parmelia are now dispersed among the following genera: Ahtiana, Arctoparmelia, Flavopunctelia, Hypotrachyna, Melanelia, Neofuscelia, Punctelia, and Xanthoparmelia.
Species description:
Soredia and isidia absent; over rock
Comments:
The B.C. material can be assigned to ssp. omphalodes (Skult 1987).
Reactions:
Cortex K+ yellow, medulla K+ yellow becoming red, PD+ orange.
Contents:
Atranorin, protolichesterinic acid, salazinic acid.

Source: Lichens of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Habitat: Infrequent over acid rock in open sites throughout
World Distribution: circumpolar, S to MT.

Source: Lichens of British Columbia

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References