Boreal Button Lichen vs Common Button Lichen

Buellia disciformis compared with Buellia erubescens

Key Differences

  • Boreal Button Lichen is Critically Endangered while Common Button Lichen is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Boreal Button Lichen Common Button Lichen
Kingdom same Fungi (فطر) Fungi (فطر)
Phylum same Ascomycota (فطريات زقية) Ascomycota (فطريات زقية)
Class same Lecanoromycetes (لقنورانية) Lecanoromycetes (لقنورانية)
Order same Caliciales (Caliciales) Caliciales (Caliciales)
Family same Caliciaceae Caliciaceae
Genus same Buellia Buellia
Species Buellia disciformis Buellia erubescens

Evolutionary Relationship

Boreal Button Lichen and Common Button Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Buellia.

Conservation Status

Boreal Button Lichen

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Button Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Boreal Button Lichen Common Button Lichen
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Boreal Button Lichen

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Button Lichen

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

Boreal Button Lichen

The Boreal Button Lichen (Buellia disciformis) is a species in the genus Buellia. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Common Button Lichen

<em>Buellia erubescens</em>, commonly known as the common button lichen, is a lichen species with documented occurrences across Asia, Europe, and North America, including countries such as Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States. It typically colonizes diverse terrestrial surfaces, often found on bark, rock, or other substrates in temperate and boreal environments. Common button lichen belongs to the genus <em>Buellia</em> within the family Caliciaceae. As a crustose lichen, it typically forms tightly adhered, crust-like thalli on the surfaces it colonizes, making it characteristic of stable, undisturbed substrates. Biological traits such as average lifespan, thallus size, and biomass of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species has not yet been formally evaluated by the IUCN, and its global conservation status therefore remains undetermined. Its occurrence across multiple continents suggests a wide ecological tolerance, though detailed population data and trend assessments are currently lacking for this taxon.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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