Asahinea chrysantha #

Taxon #

Asahinea chrysantha

Organization #

Rag-Like Parmelioids

Identification #

An off white to ivory colored rag lichen that turns light green when well hydrated. Usually irregularly overlapping lobes but with the rare specimen forming an attractive rosette-like thallus. The other species in the genus, A. scholanderi, is a darker grayish to steely or even blue-green colored lichen which has isidia. Apothecia are extremely rare in both species of the genus and should be noted when found.

Substrate #

Terricolous or on thin humus or debris layers over rocks (CLH, Spribille et al. 2023)

Chemical Tests #

medulla: K-, C-, KC+ pink to red, Pd- (CLH)

Notes #

Ubiquitous on tundras north and west of Yakutat. Collections for the genus Asahinea are absent from SE Alaska and may not be found throughout much of that region except perhaps around the Skagway area.