#graphidaceae

[wild-e-eep]

Some lovely, scribbly script lichen.

iNaturalist obs 255326099

[photo-biont]

[drhoz]

#3732 - Graphis scripta - Common Script Lichen

Also known as Secret Writing Lichen.

First described by Linnaeus as Lichen scripta, but the taxonomy since then has been an absolute nightmare - the Swedish pioneering lichenologist Erik Acharius moved it to Graphis in 1803, but by then it already had 30 synonyms. By 1923 it had over 100. By 2009 over 200 species in the genus were considered synonymous, Graphis scripta was either a species complex or had over 100 recognised varieties and forms - and the genetic evidence doesn't correlate with the morphotypes.

A journal of lichenology is named after the species, and at least two species of fungus use the lichen as a host.

Woodhaugh Gardens, Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand