Candleflame Lichen
ExploreFungi
Candleflame Lichen
candelaria concolor
The Candleflame Lichen looks like little bright orange candles on rocks! It's a fun and colorful addition to nature that helps create a healthy environment.
Habitat: Candleflame Lichen lives on rocks in sunny, dry areas.
Appearance
The Candleflame Lichen is a vibrant, crusty growth, often forming bright yellow to orange-yellow patches on surfaces. It has small, flattened, overlapping lobes that give it a distinctive wavy or scaly appearance. This cheerful color helps it stand out from duller grey or green lichens.
KingdomFungiPhylumAscomycotaClassCandelariomycetesOrderCandelarialesFamilyCandelariaceaeGenusCandelaria
Category
FungiRarity
Common
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
Snaps
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Interesting facts
It's a secret team of two: a fungus and a tiny alga living together as one!
Its bright color helps protect it like sunscreen from the sun's strong rays.
Lichen can grow in incredibly tough places, like on bare rock or old fences!
Some lichens are super slow growers, taking hundreds of years to get big!
Special abilities
Ability
Air Purity Sensor
Candleflame Lichen can shrink or disappear in polluted air, helping scientists measure air quality.
Ability
Solar Sugar Factory
Candleflame Lichen has tiny algae inside that use sunlight to make food for the entire lichen.
Ability
Drought Survivor
Candleflame Lichen can completely dry out during droughts and then rehydrate, continuing to grow.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 cm
- Spread
- 1-5 cm
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Wind
Ecological connections
symbiotic with
Green Alga
Trebouxia decolorans
provides food through photosynthesis for the fungus.
eats
Golden Spider Beetle
Ptinus fur
larvae may graze on various dry organic matter, including lichens.
shelters
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
often grows harmlessly on the bark of many deciduous trees.
Traits
Colorful
Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
Decomposer
Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Diurnal
Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
Nocturnal
Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.
Also known as
Candle LichenOrange Lichen
Collections
Safety
Danger
0/5 · No known danger
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Candleflame Lichen?
0.1-0.5 cm
How wide does Candleflame Lichen spread?
1-5 cm
Is Candleflame Lichen edible?
No
Is Candleflame Lichen toxic?
None
What is Candleflame Lichen's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is Candleflame Lichen pollinated?
Wind
Where is Candleflame Lichen usually found?
Candleflame Lichen lives on rocks in sunny, dry areas.
Snap Map
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Recent Snaps
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