Melanelixia californica

Melanelixia californica, the California camouflage lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was first described in 2010 after molecular studies revealed that what was thought to be the European species Melanelixia glabra in North America was actually a distinct species. The lichen forms olive-green, leaf-like growths up to 6 cm (2.4 in) across and is characterized by its sparse transparent surface hairs and disk-shaped fruiting bodies. It is found primarily in southern California, where it grows mainly on oak trees in Mediterranean climate zones at elevations ranging from 640–1,700 m (2,100–5,580 ft), though it has also been reported from Oregon's Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument.