Sporely app icon Sporely
Unverified / Caution

Lace lichen

Ramalina menziesii
Also known as: Lace lichen, California Spanish Moss
Botanical Overview

Ramalina menziesii, the lace lichen or fishnet, is a pale yellowish-green to grayish-green foliose lichen. It grows up to a meter long, hanging from bark and twigs in a distinctive net-like or lace-like pattern that is unlike any other lichen in North America. It becomes a deeper green when wet. Apothecia are lecanorine. it is an important food source for deer in the Coast Range of California, and a source of nest material for birds. It is highly variable in its growth form, with branches sometimes so slender as to appear like strands, sometimes tiny, and sometimes large with broadly flattened branches.After years of effort, the California Lichen Society was able to convince the state legislature to recognize the lichen as the state lichen of California, the first lichen so honored.

Classification

Scientific Taxonomy

Kingdom Fungi Phylum Ascomycota Class Lecanoromycetes Order Lecanorales Family Ramalinaceae Genus Ramalina
Safety Notice: Never consume any wild mushroom based exclusively on photographs or app identification. Many deadly poisonous species (such as Amanita phalloides) closely mimic edible varieties. Always verify your specimen in person with a certified expert mycologist.
Spotted an inaccurate field mark or edibility issue?