Glaucomaria rupicola

Glaucomaria rupicola

Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Lecanoraceae
Genus: Glaucomaria
Species:
G. rupicola
Binomial name
Glaucomaria rupicola
(L.) P.F.Cannon (2022)
Synonyms
  • Lichen rupicola L. (1767)
  • Verrucaria rupicola (L.) Humb. (1793)
  • Patellaria rupicola (L.) Trevis. (1851)
  • Lecanora rupicola (L.) Zahlbr. (1928)

Glaucomaria rupicola, the white rim lichen, is a species of crustose lichen in the family Lecanoraceae. It forms thick, whitish-grey patches on hard, exposed siliceous rock such as granite, from coastal cliffs to mountain summits. The fruiting bodies are typically covered by a conspicuous pale grey powdery coating, and the disc reacts bright yellow with bleach (the C spot test). The species has a wide distribution, occurring across Europe, North America, and Asia in the Northern Hemisphere, and extending into South America and other southern regions. It is particularly common on wave-splashed rocks just above the high-tide line and on well-lit rock outcrops inland. A 2025 molecular study confirmed its placement in the resurrected genus Glaucomaria, separate from Lecanora in the strict sense.