Chaenotheca chrysocephala

Esslinger (2018) expands the concept of Chaenotheca chrysocephala to include Coniocybe gracilescens, while Esslinger and Egan (1995) treated them as distinct.

This lichen species has a circumpolar boreal distribution. In North America it is known from coniferous forests in New England west to Oregon and south to California, Arizona and Mexico. It grows on bark and exposed roots of conifers and sometimes on conifer wood (Thomson 1997). Although the distribution and population sizes of this species are large enough to qualify for G5, the significant decline of the species since pre-industrial times may justify reducing the rank slightly to G4G5.

Global distribution "Comon over large parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden. Rare in Denmark [...] This species has a very wide distribution in cool temperate to temperate areas of both hemispheres (Eurasia, North America, Africa, Australasia, and Central and South America)" (Tibell 1999). Within North America, widespread in temperate and boreal regions.

Number of known occurences worldwide is probably > 1000 (including many historic); Number of known occurrences in North America is probably > 300 (808 collections in northeastern North America, Selva personal communication) ; Number of known occurrences in California = ca. 1+; Number of known occurrences in Oregon = 21+; Number of known occurrences in Washington = 1+; Number of known occurrences in British Columbia = 28+. Rikkinen (2003?) reports on 30 locations from the region. Although the number of extant occurrences worldwide is unknown, the North American occurrences (collections) are recent and are mostly extant.

Worldwide, the species has gone through drastic declines since pre-industrial times. The Pacific Northwest, due to logging, has been no exception. However, the rate of loss in the Pacific Northwest has slowed. Although little is known about the reproductive and dispersal biology of this species, it is thought that the species can overcome some habitat fragmentation and, at this point, is secure from extirpation or extinction. The association with late-successional (100 years +) trees as well as old-growth, suggests that if the current late-successional reserves are maintained in the Pacific Northwest, this species may be poised for a come-back.