description Lobaria virens Overview
Lobaria virens, also treated in modern references as Ricasolia virens, is a large foliose lichen with leafy lobes that can appear vivid green when wet and darker when dry. It grows mainly on the bark of broad-leaved trees in shaded, sheltered, humid woodlands, and it can also occur on protected rocks or western sea cliffs. The species is associated with oceanic woodland communities and is relevant to surveys of mature, continuous habitat.
help Lobaria virens FAQ
Why is Lobaria virens also called Ricasolia virens?
Modern references may place this species in the genus Ricasolia, giving the name Ricasolia virens. Lobaria virens remains a widely encountered name, so both names can refer to the same large foliose lichen.
Why does Lobaria virens look brighter when wet?
Its leafy lobes can appear vivid green when wet and become darker when dry. Moisture changes the way the thallus reflects light, making the green coloration more obvious.
Where does Lobaria virens grow on trees?
It mainly grows on the bark of broad-leaved trees in shaded, sheltered, humid woodland. Those conditions help explain why it is more likely to be found on mature woodland trunks than on dry, exposed branches.
Is Lobaria virens a leafy or bushy lichen?
It is a large foliose lichen with broad leafy lobes. That flat, lobed structure contrasts with the cylindrical branches of fruticose lichens such as Sphaerophorus globosus.
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