| Rock gnome lichen | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Ascomycetes |
| Order: | Lecanorales |
| Family: | Cladoniaceae |
| Genus: | Gymnoderma |
| Species: | G. lineare |
| Binomial name | |
| Gymnoderma lineare (A. Evans) Yoshim. & Sharp |
|
Rock gnome lichen (Gymnoderma lineare) is a squamulose lichen belonging to the reindeer moss family. It is found in the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians. Populations are only known to exist in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The lichen occurs only in frequent fog, or in deep river gorges. Because of its specialized habitat requirements and heavy collection for scientific purposes, the lichen has been listed as an endangered species since January 18th, 1995. It is only one of two lichens on the endangered species list, the other being the Florida perforate cladonia.[1]