Xanthoparmelia ajoensis is a foliose lichen that belongs to the genus Xanthoparmelia. The lichen is uncommon and is listed as vulnerable by the Nature Conservatory.
Description Xanthoparmelia ajoensis grows to around 2–6 cm in diameter with irregularly lobate lobes which are approximately 1–3 mm wide. The upper surface of the lichen is yellow-green with cylindrical isidia. The lower surface is pale brown to brown. Xanthoparmelia ajoensis is a member of the Xanthoparmelia mexicana group, a complex of similar species that differ mainly in their secondary chemistry.
Habitat and range Xanthoparmelia ajoensis is found in the North American southwest including the US states of Arizona,Jackson, H. B., Leavitt, S. D., Krebs, T., & Clair, L. L. S. (2005). Lichen flora of the eastern Mojave Desert: Blackrock Arizona, Mojave County, Arizona, USA. Evansia, 22(1), 30–38. California, Colorado, and New Mexico and the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora.
Chemistry Xanthoparmelia ajoensis has been recorded as containing usnic acid, 3-α-hydroxybarbatic acid, and diffractaic acid.
See also
List of Xanthoparmelia species
References