Taxonomic Notes: This attractive macrolichen is easy to recognize by lichen specialists. The species can be identified in thefield and because it has been recognized as an extremely rare species for decades, the species isrelatively well documented in literature and herbaria.
The global distribution of this species is limited to only five locations in Japan (for the period of 1926-2012) and Taiwan (discovered in 2007), with an area of occupancy (AOO) of 24 km2. This species growsin old-growth forests at the base of trunks of veteran trees of Cryptomeria japonica (in Japan) and Chamaecyparis obtusa (in Taiwan). Both host species are Near Threatened according to the IUCN RedList. Old forests with these two tree species were largely destroyed in the past by forestry or typhoons, and now only exist in limited protected areas. Hurricanes and other severe stand-level disturbancespose continuing threats to the species. It is assessed as Endangered.
Assessor/s: Ohmura, Y., Nadyeina, O. & Scheidegger, C.; Reviewer/s: Dahlberg, A. & Nimis, P.L.
Bibliography:
IUCN. 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 13 November 2014).
Kashiwadani, H. & Moon, K. H. (2010) Noteworthy species of lichens found in Taiwan. Memoirs of th eNational Museum of Nature and Science46: 65-68.