vs Multicolored Dot Lichen

Cliostomum leprosum compared with Cliostomum griffithii

Key Differences

• is Vulnerable while Multicolored Dot Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Multicolored Dot Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class same	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order same	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family same	Ramalinaceae	Ramalinaceae
Genus same	Cliostomum	Cliostomum
Species	Cliostomum leprosum	Cliostomum griffithii

Evolutionary Relationship

and Multicolored Dot Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cliostomum.

Conservation Status

VU — Vulnerable

Multicolored Dot Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Multicolored Dot Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

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

Range

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

Multicolored Dot Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

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

Cliostomum leprosum is a crustose lichen-forming fungus in the family Ramalinaceae, notable for its powdery, leprose thallus that gives it a granular, mealy appearance on bark and wood substrates. Unlike many lichens that form well-defined, structured thalli, C. leprosum produces a loosely coherent sorediose crust ranging from pale greenish-grey to whitish, often colonizing deeply shaded, moist bark on deciduous and coniferous trees. The species is distributed across boreal and temperate forests of Europe and North America, with confirmed records from Norway, Sweden, and scattered locations in the United States. It photosynthesizes in partnership with green algal partners typical of crustose lichens. Cliostomum leprosum is assessed as Vulnerable due to its sensitivity to air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen compounds that degrade lichen communities. Its decline is linked to habitat loss from intensive forestry, removal of veteran trees, and acidic deposition. Conservation efforts focus on preserving old-growth and semi-natural forest stands that provide suitable, low-disturbance bark microhabitats where this inconspicuous but ecologically significant lichen can persist.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States