Brown Cobblestone Lichen vs Common Gold-Dust

Acarospora fuscata compared with Chrysothrix xanthina

Key Differences

• Brown Cobblestone Lichen is Least Concern while Common Gold-Dust is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Cobblestone Lichen	Common Gold-Dust
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Arthoniomycetes (Arthoniomycetes)
Order	Acarosporales (Acarosporales)	Arthoniales (Arthoniales)
Family	Acarosporaceae	Chrysotrichaceae
Genus	Acarospora	Chrysothrix
Species	Acarospora fuscata	Chrysothrix xanthina

Evolutionary Relationship

Brown Cobblestone Lichen and Common Gold-Dust share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Ascomycota. (Sac Fungi)

Conservation Status

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Common Gold-Dust

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Cobblestone Lichen	Common Gold-Dust
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and United States.

Common Gold-Dust

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Colombia, and United States.

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

The Brown Cobblestone Lichen (Acarospora fuscata) is a species in the genus Acarospora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Gold-Dust

<em>Chrysothrix xanthina</em>, commonly known as common gold-dust, is a crustose lichen in the family Chrysotrichaceae. The species has been documented in Brazil, Colombia, and the United States, indicating a distribution across parts of South and North America. Lichens in the genus <em>Chrysothrix</em> are characterized by their powdery, brightly colored thallus, and <em>C. xanthina</em> is typically recognized by its distinctive yellow-gold granular coating on its substrate, produced by pigments including calycin and vulpinic acid. <em>Chrysothrix xanthina</em> typically grows on the bark of trees and occasionally on rock surfaces in humid forest and woodland habitats, where it forms conspicuous yellow patches. The species is not currently evaluated for conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. As a lichen, <em>Chrysothrix xanthina</em> represents a symbiotic association between a fungal partner (mycobiont) and one or more photosynthetic partners (algae or cyanobacteria), and contributes to nutrient cycling and substrate weathering in the ecosystems it inhabits.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States