#cryptothecia rubrocincta

[mycoblogg]

FOTD #086 : christmas wreath lichen! (cryptothecia rubrocincta)

the christmas wreath lichen is a fungus from the family arthoniaceae. the lichen is found in subtropical & tropical areas throughout the south-eastern US, as well as central & south america. it has even been collected a few times in africa :-)

the big question : can i bite it?? i cannot find any info on this !! it is at least not poisonous.

c. rubrocincta description :

"the body of the lichen forms continuous, circular crust-like patches on dead wood, readily recognizable by the prominent red pigment. the older, central region is covered with red, spherical to cylindrical granules. moving outwards from the centre, zones of colour may be distinguished, the first grey-green, the second white, & finally a bright red cottony rim. the red & green colours of this unmistakable woodland lichen give the appearance of a christmas wreath."

[images : source & source] [fungus description : source]

"i was thinking of saving this for christmas, but it's so pretty !! i just couldn't wait. it's been a while since i did a lichen. :-)"

[rachelsrandomsphotos]

Christmas Lichen (Cryptothecia rubrocincta)

Taken at Malabar Scrub Sanctuary in Malabar, FL

[faeriegardenguardian]

Christmas Wreath Lichen

———

Fun Fact:  It's name comes from the beautiful ring of red and gorgeous green of the interior of the lichen. The epithet "rubrocincta" means "red wreath."

Scientific Name: Cryptothecia rubrocincta

Region: Gulf Coast of the United States of America down into the tropics of South America.

Picture Location: Crestview, Florida

[roikinneret5764]

from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptothecia_rubrocincta

[lovecraftsgarden]

Cryptothecia rubrocincta

Christmas Wreath Lichen

(via)

[boudhabar]

Cryptothecia rubrocincta

[jestermolly]

@ CR fandom

In case no one has done the research yet, the fungus on Caduceus’s armor and staff is most likely Cryptothecia rubrocincta, also known as Christmas lichen or Christmas wreath lichen. And the pictures on Google make it look SUPER pretty!

[vintagereject]

Cryptothecia rubrocincta

[ainawgsd]

Cryptothecia rubrocincta -- Christmas wreath lichen

Don't let that cheesy common name fool you--this lichen, like you, is a total badass. It puts up with a lot of stress in it's life and projects an image to tell the world "hey, back off, don't mess with me! I tolerate no bullshit!" but it ends up getting told how nice it looks and still has a lot of fans and friends. Sound familiar?

Yep, I took my own quiz. Don’t judge me. 

[brett-outdoors]

Cryptothecia rubrocincta, a vibrant crustose lichen.

[rachelsrandomsphotos]

Christmas Lichen (Cryptothecia rubrocincta)

Taken at Malabar Scrub Sanctuary in Malabar, FL

[rachelsrandomsphotos]

Christmas Lichen (Cryptothecia rubrocincta) and Resurrection Ferns (Pleopeltis polypodioides)

Taken at Turkey Creek Sanctuary in Palm Bay, FL

[rachelsrandomsphotos]

Christmas Lichen (Cryptothecia rubrocincta)

Taken at Malabar Scrub Sanctuary in Malabar, FL

[sciencealert]

Not only does the decorative Christmas lichen, Cryptothecia rubrocincta come in festive colours, but lichen embody the spirit of giving as they are a product of a mutualistic symbiosis between fungi and algae. 🍄❤️🦠 The algae provides sugars from photosynthesis and the fungi provides protection and together they can thrive in tougher environments than they ever could have alone. 🎁 This lichen is commonly found along the Gulf Coast through to South America. ​ ​📷 : teodoro_chivatabedoya/iNaturalist/CC-BY-NC