There are at least 41 species of

Lichens A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Ascomycota known to exist in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

. The Montana Natural Heritage Program has identified a number of lichen species as ''Species of Concern''. The Ascomycota are a Division/Phylum of the kingdom

Fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

, and subkingdom

Dikarya Dikarya is a subkingdom of Fungi that includes the divisions Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, both of which in general produce dikaryons, may be filamentous or unicellular, but are always without flagella. The Dikarya are most of the so-called " ...

. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi. They are the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defining feature of this fungal group is the " ascus" (from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: ' (''askos''), meaning "sac" or "wineskin"), a microscopic sexual structure in which nonmotile spores, called ascospores, are formed. However, some

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of the Ascomycota are asexual, meaning that they do not have a sexual cycle and thus do not form asci or ascospores. Previously placed in the Deuteromycota along with asexual species from other fungal taxa, asexual (or anamorphic) ascomycetes are now identified and classified based on morphological or physiological similarities to ascus-bearing

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

, and by

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analyses of DNA sequences. * Arctomiaceae ** Delicate arctomia lichen, '' Arctomia delicatula'' * Brigantiaeaceae ** Brick-spored firedot lichen, '' Brigantiaea praetermissa'' *

Cladoniaceae The Cladoniaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. It is one of the largest families of lichen-forming fungi, with about 560 species distributed amongst 17 genera. The reindeer moss and cup lichens ('' Cladonia'') belong ...

** Thorn cladonia lichen, '' Cladonia uncialis'' ** Wooden soldiers lichen, '' Cladonia botrytes'' * Collemataceae ** Jelly lichen, '' Collema curtisporum'' * Coniocybaceae ** Collared glass whiskers lichen, '' Sclerophora amabilis'' * Hymeneliaceae ** Vagrant aspicilia lichen, '' Aspicilia fruticulosa'' *

Lecanoraceae The Lecanoraceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. Species of this family have a widespread distribution. Taxonomy Lecanoraceae was circumscribed by German lichenologist Gustav Wilhelm Körber Gustav Wilhelm Körber ...

** Wanderlust lichen, '' Rhizoplaca haydenii'' *

Lobariaceae The Peltigeraceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales. The Peltigeraceae, which contains 15 genera and about 600 species, has recently (2018) been emended to include the families Lobariaceae and Nephromataceae. Many Peltigeraceae sp ...

** Cabbage lungwort lichen, '' Lobaria linita'' ** Gray lungwort lichen, '' Lobaria hallii'' ** Netted specklebelly lichen, '' Pseudocyphellaria anomala'' ** Textured lungwort lichen, '' Lobaria scrobiculata'' ** Thorn lichen, '' Dendriscocaulon umhausense'' *

Pannariaceae The Pannariaceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales (suborder Collematineae). Species from this family have a widespread distribution, but are especially prevalent in southern temperate regions. Genera According to a recent (20 ...

** Lead lichen, '' Parmeliella triptophylla'' *

Parmeliaceae The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2700 species in 71 genera, it is the largest family of lichen-forming fungi. The most speciose genera in the family are the well-known groups: '' Xanthoparmelia'' ( ...

** Camouflage lichen, '' Melanelia commixta'' ** Chestnut wrinkle-lichen, '' Cetraria sepincola'' ** Foxtail lichen, '' Nodobryoria subdivergens'' ** Frosted finger lichen, '' Dactylina ramulosa'' ** Mountain oakmoss lichen, '' Evernia divaricata'' ** Northern camouflage lichen, '' Melanelia septentrionalis'' ** Ribbon rag lichen, '' Platismatia stenophylla'' ** Ring lichen, '' Arctoparmelia subcentrifuga'' ** Shield lichen, '' Parmelia fraudans'' ** Tattered rag lichen, '' Platismatia herrei'' *

Peltigeraceae The Peltigeraceae are a family of lichens in the order Peltigerales. The Peltigeraceae, which contains 15 genera and about 600 species, has recently (2018) been emended to include the families Lobariaceae and Nephromataceae. Many Peltigeraceae sp ...

** Chocolate chip lichen, '' Solorina bispora'' ** Chocolate chip lichen, '' Solorina octospora'' ** Fringed chocolate chip lichen, '' Solorina spongiosa'' ** Fringed pelt lichen, '' Peltigera pacifica'' ** Waterfan lichen, '' Peltigera hydrothyria'' * Pertusariaceae ** Wart lichen, '' Pertusaria diluta'' *

Physciaceae The Physciaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. A 2016 estimate placed 19 genera and 601 species in the family. Genera This is a list of the genera contained wi ...

** Shadow lichen, '' Phaeophyscia kairamoi'' *

Psoraceae The Psoraceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. The Austrian Botanist and Lichenologist Alexander Zahlbruckner first described the family in 1898. Species of this family have a widespread distribution. Genera This is ...

** Scale lichen, ''

Psora rubiformis ''Psora'' is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Psoraceae. Members of the genus are commonly called fishscale lichens. Lichens in the genus ''Psora'' are known to have a squamulose thallus and anthraquinones in the hymenium. Specie ...

'' *

Ramalinaceae The Ramalinaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. The family name is synonymous with the name ''Bacidiaceae''. Species of this family have a widespread distribution. Genera *'' Aciculopsora'' *''Adelolecia'' *''Arthr ...

** Hooded ramalina lichen, '' Ramalina obtusata'' ** Powdery twig lichen, '' Ramalina pollinaria'' ** Slit-rimmed ramalina lichen, '' Ramalina subleptocarpha'' *

Sphaerophoraceae The Sphaerophoraceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. Species of this family have a widespread distribution, especially in southern temperate regions. Sphaerophoraceae was circumscribed by mycologist Elias Magnus Fri ...

** Coral lichen, '' Sphaerophorus tuckermanii'' *

Stereocaulaceae The Stereocaulaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales. It contains five genera. Species of this family are widely distributed in temperate boreal and austral regions. Genera *'' Hertelidea'' – 6 spp. *''Lepraria'' ...

** Easter lichen, '' Stereocaulon paschale'' * Umbilicariaceae ** Rock tripe lichen, '' Umbilicaria havaasii'' ** Rock tripe lichen, ''

Umbilicaria hirsuta Rock tripe is the common name for various lichens of the genus ''Umbilicaria'' that grow on rocks. They are widely distributed, including on bare rock in Antarctica, and throughout northern parts of North America such as New England and the Rocky ...

'' * Verrucariaceae ** Elf-ear lichen, '' Normandina pulchella'' ** Speck lichen, '' Verrucaria kootenaica''

Notes

{{Montana

Lichen

Lichens A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.

Further reading

See also

Notes