the broad-lobed lichen of NZ's coastal forest canopy
- Size
- Width: 5–15 cm
- Lifespan
- 20–50 years
- Diet
- Grows on bark of trees, mossy rocks, and rotting logs in damp, undisturbed forests. Requires clean air, stable bark surfaces, and high humidity. Forms large, leafy, pale greyish-green to brownish lobes with a distinctive network of raised veins.
- Habitat
- Grows on bark of trees, mossy rocks, and rotting logs in damp, undisturbed forests. Found in humid, sheltered locations where the forest has been standing for centuries.
- Range
- Found throughout the North and South Islands on bark of trees, mossy rocks, and rotting logs in damp, undisturbed forests. Most common in the South Island's beech forests and the North Island's western ranges. Endemic to New Zealand.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- None significant. This species is common and widespread in damp, undisturbed forests. Localised threats include forest clearance, air pollution, and climate change reducing forest floor humidity.
- Population
- Not Threatened. The sticta lichen is common in damp, undisturbed forests throughout New Zealand, particularly in the South Island's beech forests and the North Island's western ranges. It grows on the bark of native trees, on mossy rocks, and on rotting logs.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
The one that looks like it wants to be touched has a body that is leafy and broad, with large, rounded lobes that spread across the bark or rock like a crumpled piece of velvet. The colour is a pale greyish-green to brownish-green when dry, bright green when wet. The surface is soft and velvety, almost like suede or fine leather. It is the lichen of the soft touch, the one that feels as good as it looks, the one that invites you to reach out and stroke it.
What makes it special is the texture. The sticta lichen is one of the softest lichens in New Zealand. Its upper surface is covered in a fine, velvety fuzz, a layer of tiny hairs that gives it a soft, suede-like feel. When you touch it, it feels like soft fabric, like the skin of a fruit, like something that should not be growing on a rock. It is the lichen of the caress, the one you want to stroke, the one that rewards a gentle touch.
The sticta lichen is a foliose lichen, meaning it grows in flat, leafy lobes that are attached to the substrate at points but not completely stuck down. The lobes are broad and rounded, often with a wavy or ruffled margin. The underside is pale, with a network of raised, branching veins that are a distinctive feature of the Sticta genus. Under a hand lens, the veins are visible, a delicate network on the pale underside.
Biologically, the sticta lichen is a partnership, a fungus, a green alga, and a cyanobacterium living together. The fungus provides structure and protection. The green alga provides food through photosynthesis. The cyanobacterium provides nitrogen through fixation. It is a three-way partnership, a tiny ecosystem on the bark of an old tree.
To find sticta lichen is to find the soft, velvety patch on the bark. It is pale, leafy, and soft, a living piece of suede on the tree. You can run your finger over the surface and feel the soft, velvety texture. It is the lichen of the soft touch, the one that feels as good as it looks, the one that proves that even the oldest things can be beautiful.