| Lobaria oregana | |
|---|---|
| Lobaria oregana in the Hoh Rainforest | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
| Order: | Peltigerales |
| Family: | Lobariaceae |
| Genus: | Lobaria |
| Species: | L. oregana |
| Binomial name | |
| Lobaria oregana (Tuck.) Müll.Arg. (1889) |
|
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Sticta oregana Tuck. (1874) |
|
Lobaria oregana, also known as lettuce lichen, is a species of foliose lichen occurring in North American old-growth forests, such as the Hoh Rainforest in Washington State. Taking its common name from its lettuce-like appearance, the lichen grows in the tree canopy but falls to the forest floor, where it is consumed by deer, elk, and other animals.[2] The species was first described by American botanist Edward Tuckerman in 1874 as Sticta oregana, and later (1889) transferred to the genus Lobaria by Swiss lichen specialist Johannes Müller Argoviensis.[1]