Alectoria fallacina

The body (thallus) of Alectoria fallacina is made of curved and tangled branches that range from a length of 6-8 cm. Its branches are uneven in thickness with a diameter of 0.2–0.4 cm. The fungal portion of this lichen has been observed to occur in a variety of colors ranging from gray to greenish yellow. Its internal structure is made up of a dense cortex and medulla, lending to Alectoria fallacina being resilient compared to species like Bryoria implexa. Additionally, most specimens do not have any apothecia or soralia Instead, Alectoria fallacina reproduces asexually by parts of the thallus fragmenting and dispersing to tree branches closer to the ground. The fungi secretes usnic acid, == Taxonomy ==

Alectoria fallacina is a part of the genus Alectoria in the family Parmeliaceae. While Alectoria sarmentosa and Alectoria fallacina are similar, molecular insights have distinguished Alectoria fallacina as monophyletic and distantly related to Alectoria sarmentosa. The two species are differentiated mainly by Alectoria fallacinas production of an unknown fatty acid. == Habitat ==

Alectoria fallacina is endemic to forests in cool and high humidity areas of the Appalachians. == Environmental stress ==

Like many lichens endemic to the high-elevation environment of the Appalachians, Alectoria fallacina finds that climate change is a high-threat environmental stress that causes loss of habitat range currently and going into the future. Other environmental stress factors that lead to the decline in populations of the lichen include tourism, logging, competition from non-native species, construction of roads and railroads, and airborne pollutants. Due to the various environmental stresses, populations of Alectoria fallacina in North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia are in decline. Previously, populations existed in New York and Virginia but have now been deemed extinct. == Conservation efforts and usage ==

Conservation efforts More than 90% of the population exist in protected areas within the Appalachians. While no explicit conservation measures or monitoring have been put in place to preserve and increase the current population, Usage The fungi has mainly been collected from its habitats for scientific research. == See also ==