Dactylina arctica & Dactylina beringica #

Taxon #

Dactylina arctica, Dactylina beringica

Organization #

Fruticose Parmelioids

Identification #

Fruticose, finger-like lichens, hollow or loosely webbed in cross section. Yellow, gold, bright green, with browned bases. Some of the older literature suggest that apothecia are very rare in D. arctica, but in Alaska fertile forms are common in many remote tundra sites. The apothecia of D. beringica have not yet been found.

Substrate #

Terricolous, we have collected ramicolous specimens from dwarf shrubs and the stems of heaths in the Talkeetna Range.

Chemical Tests:

Dactylina arctica #

cortex: K-, C- or C+ pink, KC+ “gold”, Pd-; medulla: C+ pink, KC+ red, Pd- or Pd+ red (Brodo et al. 2001)

Dactylina beringica #

cortex: K-, C+ pink, Pd-; medulla K-, C-, KC- or KC+ pink, Pd+ orange (CLH)

Notes #

Ubiquitous in the alpine and the tundras.

Photos #