Peltigera leucophlebia (Nyl.) Gyeln., 1926 group
| Common name | Ruffled Freckle Pelt |
|---|---|
| Code | PELTLEU grp. |
| Field Characters | Large leafy tripartite cephalolichens, which can have photomorphs, where they switch to a bipartite cyanolichen morph. Thalli to 15 cm across, composed of individual lobes to rosettiform or overlapping colonies, sometimes covering > 1 m square. Lobes up to 3 cm across, branching sparingly. Upper surface typically billowed or quilted with upturned, ruffled lobe tips, grey-green to brown-green when dry, emerald green when wet, freckled with grey cephalodia. The cephalodia are typically three-dimensional and convex, warty or knobby (like the candy “Nerds”). Often with sparse erect tomentum on the lobe tips. Lower cortex lacking, lower surface covered in a network of narrow veins and interstices, with abundant rhizines. Rhizines vary from unbranched to tufted. Apothecia red-brown, saddle-shaped, with patchy, discontinous cortex on the back. Vegetative propagules lacking. |
| Similar species |
Peltigera aphthosa: lobe margins not ruffled, cephalodia flattened and attached throughout, veins typically broad to indistinct, apothecia with continuous cortex on the back.
Peltigera latiloba: cephalodia smaller, upper surface tomentose almost throughout, lacking only near the centre, and with a retifoveate lower surface with deep interstices. |
| Ecology | Typically on soil, mosses, logs, rockes and tree bases in forests of all types. Present in foothills, mountain, boreal, and shield sites, absent from parkland and grassland. |
| Chemistry | Not investigated. |
| Molecular support |
High, represented by 5 well-supported molecular clades. We continue to work to understand how these clades differ morphologically and ecologically. |
| Links | |
| Gallery |
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group, AB
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group, Edmonton, AB
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group, Edmonton, AB
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group upper cortex, dry, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group lower surface with distinct veins, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group lower surface with distinct veins, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group lower surface with distinct veins, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group upper cortex, wet, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group rhizines, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group, wet apothecia, ALTA collection
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- Peltigera leucophlebia group, dry apothecia, ALTA collection
