Plant · GBIF taxon 7251037
Hoary Frost Lichen
Physcia adscendensAlso known as Hooded Rosette Lichen, Hooded Physcia
Hoary frost lichens form small, pale grey rosettes that stand out against dark bark and weathered stone. Their distinctive hood-shaped lobe tips curl upward to reveal powdery reproductive structures underneath, while long, dark-tipped hairs fringe the margins. Highly tolerant of dust and nutrients, these resilient pioneers are among the first to colonize urban concrete and roadside trees.
LichenPioneer SpeciesFoliose
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthetic (via Trebouxia algae symbiont)
Predators
- Snails
- Slugs
- Mites
ThreatsHeavy sulfur dioxide air pollution
HabitatsDeciduous tree bark, limestone rocks, concrete, gravestones
Life spanDecades to centuries
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPhysciaceae
- SpeciesPhyscia adscendens
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe and touch at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Look for the hoods: Use a hand lens to inspect the inflated, hood-like tips of the lobes.
- Spot the cilia: Look closely at the margins for long, pale hairs with dark tips.
- Check the substrate: Search on nutrient-rich bark of roadside trees or concrete walls.
Frequent Companion (c) Donald Hobern, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Frequent Companion Close Relative 
Close Relative (c) Paul Cook, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Paul Cook · cc-by
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