Blistered Jelly Lichen

Collema nigrescens is a leafy (foliose) jelly lichen (Collema genus) found growing on the bark of trees such as bigleaf maples, in wetter coastal parts of California. It is commonly called button jelly lichen or bat's wing lichen. It is blackish-green when wet, and dark brownish-green to dark olive when dry. The photosynthetic partner is the Nostoc cyanobacterium that is spread throughout the thallus (main body part). Although foliose in form, like all jelly lichens, the thallus is not differentiated, lacking layers or an upper or lower cortex (lichen) and the cyanobacteria is spread throughout the thallus. It has dark purple-brown apothecia all over.

From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Is it poisonous?

We have no record of Blistered Jelly Lichen being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.

Easily confused with

• Leptogium milligranum
• Collema furfuraceum
• Gabura fascicularis
• Collema subflaccidum
• Leptogium corticola

Classification

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Ascomycota

Class

Lecanoromycetes

Order

Peltigerales

Family

Collemataceae

Genus

Collema

Species

Collema nigrescens

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