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

Peltigera collina (Ach.) Schrader
Tree pelt
Peltigeraceae

Introduction to the Lichens

© Jim Riley  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #12419)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Peltigera collina
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Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria map

Species Information

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Illustration By: Trevor Goward

General:
Common Name: The Pelt Lichens. Echoes the genus name and describes the general resemblance of the species to various animal skins.
Small to large stratified foliose lichens, corticate above, noncorticate below, isidiate, sorediate or lobulate or not, cephalodiate or not, lobes loosely attached, short to subrotund, averaging to 1–3 (–4) cm wide, thin or thick. Upper surface greenish, greyish or brownish, smooth or somewhat roughened, naked or tomentose. Lower surface pale or dark, usually veined, bearing numerous rhizines, these short or long, slender or tufted. Medulla white. Photobiont green and/or blue-green.
Apothecia appressed on upper surface near margins, often saddle-shaped, disc brownish; spores 4-celled to multi-celled, ellipsoid or needlelike/acicular, colourless or brown at maturity, (2–) 8 per ascus.
Over soil and moss, occasionally over trees.
Notes: All but one of the 30 Peltigera species reported for North America are known to occur in B.C. Peltigera is a taxonomically rather difficult genus containing a number of species groups that are not yet satisfactorily elucidated. Chemistry is highly variable in this group; though thin-layer chromatography may help to identify some species, spot test reactions do not.
Species description:
Photobiont a greyish blue to dark blue cyanobacterium; upper surface generally greyish to bluish or brownish, never bright green when wet; cephalodia absent; bearing soredia, isidia or marginal lobules AND
Not attached to Peltigera aphthosa aggregate AND
Soredia present over lobe margins or upper or lower surface AND
Rhizines present; veins cottony, but not covered in minute erect hairs; upper surface K- AND
Soredia essentially confined to lobe margins AND
Lower surface more or less distinctly veined; upper surface lacking hairs; over various substrates; widespread; infrequent
Comments:
Some forms of P. collina could be mistaken for Nephroma parile. In that species, however, the lower surface lacks veins and rhizines.
Contents:
Tenuiorin and zeorin.

Source: Lichens of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Habitat: Infrequent over mossy rocks and conifers in sheltered forests at lower elevations in humid regions throughout
World Distribution: probably incompletely circumpolar, S to CA.

Source: Lichens of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Peltigera scutata (Dickson) Duby

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References