CDC Logo

BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Melanohalea subolivacea
blinking camouflage

 
Scientific Name: Melanohalea subolivacea (Nyl.) O. Blanco, A. Crespo, Divakar, Essl., D. Hawksw. & Lumbsch
English Name: blinking camouflage
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - 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.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Lichen
Species Code: MELASUO
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Plantae Ascomycota Lecanoromycetes Lecanorales Parmeliaceae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (Aug 2011)
Provincial Status: S4 (Apr 2010)
BC List: Yellow
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada:
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description: Thallus thin, appressed, lacking isidia and soredia, brown to olive-brown, shiny or very dull, sometimes lightly pruinose; lobes 1-4mm wide; lower surface smooth, light to dark brown, rather shiny, with many rhizines. Usually richly fertiles with round, flat, red-brown apothecia having thin margins with few or no pseudocyphellae. Asci contain 8 spores (Brodo et al. 2001).
Technical Description:
Diagnostic Characteristics: Melanelia multisporam and M. subolivacea both occur in the western U.S.A. and are very similar. Melanelia multisporam contains 12-32 spores instead of 8 and often produces small lobules while M. subolivacea does not (Brodo et al. 2001).
Similar Species:
Global Ecology Comments: Melanelia subolivacea was found to be associated with the Southern Rocky Mountains and Nevada-Utah Mountains ecoregions (McCune et al. 1998). It is commonly associated with aspens and sagebrush, and found growing on their trunks (Eversman 1990).
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments: On boradleaf trees in dry areas (Brodo et al. 2001). It is also associated with aspens and sagebrush (Eversman 1990).
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Elevation (m) (min / max): Provincial: 
Known Pests:
Pollen Vector:
Pollinator:
Dispersal: ABIOTIC
Wind
   
 
Provincial Inventory
Inventory Priority:
Ownership of occurrences (Known locations):
Inventory Need:
 
Economic Attributes
Global Economic Comments: Can be used as an indicator species in air quality and forest health regimes (St. Clair and Porter 2000).
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: This lichen occurs in the very southern portion of British Columbia, and Alberta south to New Mexico, Arizona and California. This lichen can be found in a small area in Texas on the far western edge closest to New Mexico. It extends eastward to eastern edge of Montana, and the Dakotas (Brodo et al. 2001). This species occurs on the Canary Islands and in Macronesia (unverified Central Asia reports) (Otte et al. 2005).
Disjunct, more common elsewhere:
Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere:
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author:
Last Updated:
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
Last Literature Search:
   
References and Related Literature
Brodo, I. M., S. D. Sharnoff and S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press. New Haven and London. 795 pp.
Eversman, S. 1990a. Lichens of Yellowstone National Park. The Bryologist 93(2): 197-205.
McCune, B., P. Rogers, A. Ruchty and B. Ryan. 1998a. Lichen Communities for Forest Health Monitoring in Colorado, USA. A report to the U.S. Forest Service. 30 pp.
St. Clair, L. L., and L. Porter. 2000a. Establishment of a lichen biomonitoring program and baseline for the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area of the Targee National Forest, Wyoming. Report to the U. S. Forest Service. 21pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Melanohalea subolivacea. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 18, 2026).