Stereocaulon alpinum Laurer

A conspicuous Stereocaulon species with pink tomentose or pruinose pseudopodecia. It is typically found on exposed acidic soil or siliceous rocks. It is a partly pioneer lichen, as it also grows on stands of early successional stages and occasionally disturbed stands, e. g., close to glaciers and rivers. Stereocaulon alpinum is an arctic-alpine species with a cosmopolitan distribution. However, preliminary molecular data indicate that the species consists of various isolated phylogenetic lineages. In the Czech Republic, it grows in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts, Krkonoše Mts, Jizerské hory Mts and Krušné hory Mts. There is also a record from a low altitude (430 m) – from a sludge pond in the České Budějovice region.

Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Stereocaulaceae → Stereocaulon