# Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen (*xanthomendoza fulva*)

The Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen is a bright and colorful fungus that looks like a tiny sunburst! It loves to grow on rocks and trees, creating beautiful patterns in nature.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** It lives on rocks and tree bark in forests and open areas.
- **Also known as:** Bright Lichen

![Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Xanthoria_fulva.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Ed Uebel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xanthoria_fulva.jpg)

## Appearance

The Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen has bright orange to yellow-orange, flattened, rounded lobes that form a rosette-like pattern. Its underside is often a paler yellow to whitish, giving it a 'bare-bottomed' appearance. This vibrant color makes it stand out on its substrate.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Ascomycota
- **Class:** Lecanoromycetes
- **Order:** Teloschistales
- **Family:** Teloschistaceae
- **Genus:** Gallowayella

## Interesting facts

- If you ever see one, its 'bare bottom' is pale yellow underneath!
- It can live for many, many years, growing super slowly on trees.
- Its bright orange color helps protect it from too much sunshine.
- This lichen is actually two amazing living things working together!

## Special abilities

- **Solar Power Super-Snack:** Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen can make its own food using sunlight because it has tiny algae living inside it.
- **Drought Dynamo:** Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen can dry out completely and then rehydrate, helping them survive harsh conditions.
- **Air Quality Alert:** Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen can tell us about air quality because it's very sensitive to pollution.
- **Teamwork Titan:** Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen has two partners, a fungus and algae, that work together to thrive.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 0.1-0.5 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Year-round

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Green Alga (*Trebouxia decolorans*) — The alga makes food for the fungus.
- **Eats:** Grove Snail (*Cepaea nemoralis*) — Snails often graze on its surface.
- **Shelter:** [Blue-gray Gnatcatcher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-gray-gnatcatcher) (*Polioptila caerulea*) — Small birds use its pieces for camouflage.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen?

0.1-0.5 cm

### Is Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen edible?

inedible

### Where is Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen usually found?

It lives on rocks and tree bark in forests and open areas.

### What does Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen grow on?

wood

### When is Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen in season?

Year-round

## Where to spot

- [Sabine Channel Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sabine-channel-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Bare-Bottomed Sunburst Lichen Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bare-bottomed-sunburst-lichen)