# Common Sunburst Lichen (*xanthoria parietina*)

The Common Sunburst Lichen is a bright yellow-orange lichen that looks like tiny sunbursts on rocks and trees! It helps clean the air by absorbing pollutants and is a great indicator of healthy environments.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** You can find it on rocks, tree bark, and walls in both urban and natural settings.
- **Also known as:** Common Lichen, Sunburst Lichen, Yellow Scale Lichen

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

Photo: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xanthoria-parietina-gelbflechte.jpg)

## Appearance

The Common Sunburst Lichen is a bright, often brilliant orange-yellow to greenish-yellow lichen forming flat, leafy rosettes. Its vibrant, almost glowing color makes it easily identifiable, especially when dry and exposed to sunlight. The lobes are distinct and somewhat overlapping.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Common Sunburst Lichen can help break down rocks, paving the way for other plants to grow!
- Its amazing orange color gets brighter when it gets more sunshine, like a natural tan!
- This lichen is actually a perfect team of a fungus and algae working together!
- You might spot tiny animals, like mites and snails, munching on this colorful lichen!

## Special abilities

- **Super Survivor:** Common Sunburst Lichen can dry out completely and then rehydrate, helping it survive extreme temperatures and drought.
- **Sunblock Power:** Common Sunburst Lichen has special yellow pigments that act like sunscreen, protecting it from strong sunlight.
- **Surface Clinger:** Common Sunburst Lichen can grow on many surfaces like rocks, tree bark, and man-made structures, colonizing diverse places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 0.1-0.5 cm
- **Spread:** 5-20 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** tree-dwelling algae (*Trebouxia arboricola*) — provides food for the fungus through photosynthesis
- **Eaten by:** grove snail (*Cepaea nemoralis*) — grazes on the lichen's thallus, especially when damp
- **Shelter:** water bear (*Milnesium tardigradum*) — tiny invertebrates live within the lichen for protection

## 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.
- [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.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Common 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 Common Sunburst Lichen?

0.1-0.5 cm

### How wide does Common Sunburst Lichen spread?

5-20 cm

### Is Common Sunburst Lichen edible?

No

### Is Common Sunburst Lichen toxic?

None

### What is Common Sunburst Lichen's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is Common Sunburst Lichen usually found?

You can find it on rocks, tree bark, and walls in both urban and natural settings.

## Where to spot

- [Norman Bird Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/norman-bird-sanctuary) — Rhode Island, US · Nature Reserve
- [Cape Arundel Summer Colony Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-arundel-summer-colony-historic-district) — US · Historic District
- [Railtown 1897 State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/railtown-1897-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park

[View all places to see Common Sunburst Lichen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-sunburst-lichen)

## 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: [Common Sunburst Lichen: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-sunburst-lichen)