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Bacidia schweinitzii

(Fr. ex Michener) A. Schneider

Surprise Lichen

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.122575
Element CodeNLT0004330
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryFungus
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomFungi
PhylumAscomycota
ClassLecanoromycetes
OrderLecanorales
FamilyBacidiaceae
GenusBacidia
Concept Reference
Esslinger, T.L. and R.S. Egan. 1995. A sixth checklist of the lichen-forming, lichenicolous, and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. The Bryologist 98(4):467-549. As supplied by USDA, NRCS from The PLANTS database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. Version: November 19, 1997.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-08-25
Change Date2025-08-25
Edition Date2025-08-25
Edition AuthorsK. McConnell (2001), rev. J. Allen (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Bacidia schweinitzii, which typically grows on bark in shaded forests, occurs throughout eastern North America, and there are scattered populations reported from Asia. With a large range extent, over 300 occurrences, and broad habitat preferences for abundant habitat, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Bacidia schweinitzii occurs in eastern North America and in scattered locations in east Asia (Lendemer et al. 2016). In Canada, it occurs from the Great Lakes east to New Brunswick and in the United States from Maine to Florida and Texas to Minnesota (Lendemer et al. 2016). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens collected between 1985 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records documented between 1985 and 2025, it is estimated that there are >300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Bacidia schweinitzii is potentially threatened by development, logging, gas and oil extraction, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and affinity for typically abundant habitats.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Bacidia schweinitzii is a crustose, green algal lichen distinguished from closely related species by the presence of black apothecia with green epihymenia, lack of pigments that turn purple in potassium hydroxide, and absence of soredia (Lendemer et al. 2016).

Habitat

Bacidia schweinitzii occurs in a wide range of temperate and subtropical forest types (Lendemer et al. 2016).

Ecology

Bacidia schweinitzii occurs in a broad range of temperate and subtropical forest types where it grows on the bark of hardwood and conifer trees (Lendemer et al. 2016).

Reproduction

This species reproduces sexually through ascospores and asexually through conidia.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/Woodland
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MinnesotaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
North CarolinaSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
IndianaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
QuebecSNRYes
British ColumbiaSUYes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownUnknown
3.1 - Oil & gas drillingUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
References (7)
  1. Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff and S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press. New Haven and London. 795 pp.
  2. Esslinger, T. L. 2018. A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada, Version 22. Opuscula Philolichenum 17:6-268. [http://sweetgum.nybg.org/philolichenum/]
  3. Esslinger, T.L. and R.S. Egan. 1995. A sixth checklist of the lichen-forming, lichenicolous, and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. The Bryologist 98(4):467-549. As supplied by USDA, NRCS from The PLANTS database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. Version: November 19, 1997.
  4. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  5. Lendemer, J.C., R.C. Harris, and D. Ladd. 2016. The faces of <i>Bacidia schweinitzii</i>: molecular and morphological data reveal three new species including a widespread sorediate morph. The Bryologist 119(2):143-171.
  6. Lucking, R., F. Seavey, R.S. Common, S.Q. Beeching, O. Breuss, W.R. Buck, L. Crane, M. Hodges, B.P. Hodkinson, E. Lay, J.C. Lendemer, R.T. McMullin, J.A. Mercado-Díaz, M.P. Nelsen, E. Rivas Plata, W. Safranek, W.B. Sanders, H.P. Schaefer Jr., and J. Seavey. 2011. The lichens of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Florida: Proceedings from the 18th Tuckerman Workshop. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 49(4):127-186.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>