Collema nigrescens is a leafy (foliose) jelly lichen (Collema genus) found growing on the bark of trees such as bigleaf maples, in wetter coastal parts of California.[1]: 34, 36  It is commonly called button jelly lichen or bat's wing lichen.[1]: 34, 36  It is blackish-green when wet, and dark brownish-green to dark olive when dry.[1]: 34, 36  The photosynthetic partner is the Nostoc cyanobacterium that is spread throughout the thallus (main body part).[1]: 34, 36  Although foliose in form, like all jelly lichens, the thallus is not differentiated, lacking layers or an upper or lower cortex (lichen) and the cyanobacteria is spread throughout the thallus.[1]: 34, 36  It has dark purple-brown apothecia all over.[1]: 34, 36  It produces no reaction to lichen spot tests.[1]: 34, 36 

Collema nigrescens
in Northwestern California
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Peltigerales
Family: Collemataceae
Genus: Collema
Species:
C. nigrescens
Binomial name
Collema nigrescens
(Huds.) DC. (1805)
Synonyms
  • Lichen nigrescens Huds. (1762)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Field Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0-300-19500-2