Protopannaria pezizoides

Protopannaria pezizoides, the gray moss-shingle, is a species of squamulose lichen in the family Pannariaceae. It was first described scientifically by the German botanist Georg Heinrich Weber in 1778. It has a long and complex taxonomic history, and has an extensive synonymy. It was transferred to the genus Protopannaria by Per Magnus Jørgensen and Stefan Ekman in 2000; it was assigned as the type species of the genus. Protopannaria pezizoides is widespread, with a continental distribution that includes Africa, Asia, North America, and Oceania. The lichen thrives in moist and/or humid conditions, predominantly found on soil and at the bases of trees, and occasionally on rocks, within forested and arctic-alpine settings. Its partner is from Nostoc, a genus of cyanobacteria. It does not contain any lichen products, and all standard chemical spot tests are negative.