tucks into the mossy bank company closely

Size
Width: 2–8 cm
Lifespan
10–50 years
Diet
Obtains nutrients via symbiotic partnership. Fungus provides structure. Alga provides photosynthetic food. Requires clean air and high humidity.
Habitat
Grows on mossy banks, rotting logs, and bark of trees in damp, shaded forests. Forms small, leafy, moss-like lobes that tuck into mossy company.
Range
Found throughout the North and South Islands on mossy banks, rotting logs, and bark of trees in damp, shaded forests. Most common in the South Island's beech forests and the North Island's western ranges. Also found in temperate and cold regions worldwide.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
None significant. This species is common and widespread in damp, shaded forests. Localised threats include forest clearance, air pollution, and climate change reducing forest floor humidity.
Population
Not Threatened. Psoroma lichen is common in damp, shaded forests throughout New Zealand, particularly in the South Island's beech forests and the North Island's western ranges. It grows on mossy banks, rotting logs, and the bark of native trees.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
crustose/fruticose lichen, safe to handle
Conservation Note
Endemic lichen; not assessed by NZTCS as lichens are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
No recorded Māori name distinguishes the psoroma lichen from other lichens. Lichens were generally called pūkohu (mosses and lichens) or pukorokoro (crustose lichens). The small, mossy patches on the forest floor would have been noticed only by those who looked closely. The gatherers. The healers. The ones who knew the forest intimately. The psoroma lichen was sometimes used as a dressing for wounds. The soft, fuzzy lobes were applied to cuts. To stop bleeding and promote healing.
Look closely. The moss is not just moss. Psoroma lichen looks like it is trying to be moss. It has a body that is small, leafy, and soft. With tiny, rounded lobes that form small patches on the mossy bank. The colour is pale greyish-green to brownish-green when dry. Bright green when wet. The lobes are covered in tiny, fuzzy projections. These give them a soft, mossy texture. It is the lichen of the mossy companion. The one that tucks itself into mossy company and hopes not to be noticed. The one that is a master of disguise. What makes it special is the camouflage. Psoroma lichen is one of the best-hidden lichens in New Zealand. It grows among mosses. On mossy banks. In the soft, green carpet of the forest floor. Its colour and texture match the moss so well that you can walk right past it without seeing it. It is the lichen of the hidden patch. The one that blends in with its mossy neighbours. The one that you have to look closely to find. The psoroma lichen is a foliose lichen. It grows in flat, leafy lobes. Attached to the substrate at points but not completely stuck down. The lobes are small and rounded. Often overlapping like the scales of a fish. The upper surface is covered in tiny, granular projections (granules). These give it a soft, fuzzy texture. Under a hand lens, the granules are visible. Tiny bumps that make the surface look like velvet. Biologically, the psoroma lichen is a partnership. A fungus and an alga live together. The fungus provides structure and protection. The alga provides food through photosynthesis. The psoroma lichen grows on mossy banks, rotting logs, and the bark of trees. Preferring damp, shaded locations with high humidity. To find psoroma lichen is to find the small, mossy patch on the bank. It is pale, soft, and hidden. A quiet companion to the moss. You have to look closely. You have to part the moss with your fingers. You have to know what you are looking for. It is the lichen of the mossy company. The one that tucks itself into the green carpet. The one that proves that the best way to survive is sometimes just to blend in.