Fauna
Fungus · GBIF taxon 2608941

Star Rosette Lichen

Physcia stellaris

Also known as Fringed Rosette Lichen, Starry Rosette Lichen

Star rosette lichen creates neat, radiating grey patches on the sunny bark of deciduous trees and shrubs. The flattened thallus features small dark cup-like fruiting discs near its center that release fungal spores into the wind. Partnered with microscopic green algae inside its tissues, this resilient organism manufactures its own food while enduring cycles of complete drying and rain.

Foliose LichenBark DwellerWidespread
Star Rosette Lichen reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Photosynthetic (symbiotic algae)
Predators
  • Snails
  • Slugs
  • Mites
ThreatsAir pollution, loss of mature host trees
HabitatsDeciduous tree bark, open woodlands, sunny twigs
Life spanPerennial (decades)
Classification
  1. OrderCaliciales
  2. FamilyPhysciaceae
  3. GenusPhyscia
  4. SpeciesPhyscia stellaris
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Many wild fungi have toxic look-alikes; never ingest wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Look Closely: Search the twigs and smooth bark of sunny deciduous trees for small grey starburst patterns.
  • Check the Center: Look for tiny dark cup-like fruiting structures clustered near the middle of the thallus.
  • Observe Moisture Changes: Watch the grey lobes turn subtly greenish after rain as the photobiont layer hydrates.
Related species
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