Coastal gold dust lichen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coastal gold dust lichen |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subdivisio: |
Pezizomycotina
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| Class: |
Arthoniomycetes
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| Order: |
Arthoniales
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| Family: |
Chrysotrichaceae
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| Genus: |
Chrysothrix
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| Species: |
C. granulosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Chrysothrix granulosa |
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The Coastal gold dust lichen, also called Chrysothrix granulosa, is a super bright yellow lichen. It looks like a powdery patch. You can usually find it growing on tree bark. Sometimes it grows on wood or rocks. It likes shady, dry spots near the coast.
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About the Coastal Gold Dust Lichen
This special lichen lives in coastal areas. It's found in western North America and western South America. It often grows in irregular patches. The lichen looks like a fine powder. This is why it's called a "gold dust" lichen.
Where It Lives
In North America, you can find the Coastal gold dust lichen from Mexico all the way up to British Columbia. It grows in coastal parts of California. This includes areas near Santa Barbara County. It also lives on islands off Baja California in the Sonoran Desert.
In South America, it is found from Chile to Peru. This lichen can grow from sea level up to about 400 meters (1,300 feet) high.
What It Looks Like
The main body of the lichen is called a thallus. For this lichen, the thallus is mostly powdery. It forms soft, cushion-like patches. These patches are made of tiny, powdery bits called soredia.
Underneath the powdery surface is a fluffy middle layer. This layer is called the medulla. The upper part of the medulla is yellow. It fades to a yellowish-white color lower down.
This lichen usually does not have special parts for reproduction. These parts are called apothecia, or fruiting bodies. In California and the Sonoran Desert, these fruiting bodies are completely missing. In other places, they might appear as small, brownish-orange discs. These discs are flat or slightly rounded. They are usually very tiny, less than 1 millimeter across.
How Scientists Study It
Scientists use special tests to identify lichens. These are called lichen spot tests. They put different chemicals on the lichen. The Coastal gold dust lichen reacts in specific ways:
- With potassium (K), it turns orange.
- With chlorine (C), it does not change.
- With potassium and chlorine (KC), it does not change.
- With para-phenylenediamine (P), it turns orange.
- Under UV light, it glows a dull, dark orange.
These tests help scientists find out what chemicals are inside the lichen. The Coastal gold dust lichen contains chemicals like calycin acid and diffractaic acid. These are called secondary metabolites. They are special chemicals that the lichen makes.
