Rock tripe

Rock tripe is the common name for various lichens of the genus Umbilicaria that grow on rocks. They are widely distributed, including on bare rock in Antarctica, and throughout northern parts of North America such as New England and the Rocky Mountains. They are edible when properly prepared; soaking extensively and boiling with changes of water removes the bitterness and purgative properties. They have been used as a famine food in extreme cases when other food sources were unavailable, as by early American northern explorers.

Umbilicaria esculenta is commonly used as a food in Asian cuisine and a restorative medicine in traditional Chinese medicine.

Species

 * Umbilicaria americana Poelt & T.H.Nash (1993)
 * Umbilicaria angulata Tuck. (1848)
 * Umbilicaria antarctica Frey & I.M.Lamb (1939)
 * Umbilicaria aprina Nyl. (1869)
 * Umbilicaria arctica (Ach.) Nyl. (1859)
 * Umbilicaria bigleri Frey (1949)
 * Umbilicaria crustulosa (Ach.) Lamy (1879)
 * Umbilicaria cylindrica (L.) Delise (1830)
 * Umbilicaria daliensis (J.C.Wei) Davydov, Peršoh & Rambold (2018)
 * Umbilicaria decussata (Vill.) Zahlbr. (1932)
 * Umbilicaria deusta (L.) Baumg. (1790)
 * Umbilicaria dura McCune (2018) – North America
 * Umbilicaria esculenta (Miyoshi) Minks (1900)
 * Umbilicaria hirsuta (Sw. ex Westr.) Ach. (1794)
 * Umbilicaria hispanica (Frey) Davydov, Peršoh & Rambold (2018)
 * Umbilicaria hyperborea (Ach.) Hoffm. (1796)
 * Umbilicaria iberica Sancho & Krzew. (2009)
 * Umbilicaria isidiosa Krzew. (2009)
 * Umbilicaria maculata Krzew., M.P.Martín & M.A.García (2009)
 * Umbilicaria mammulata (Ach.) Tuck. (1848)
 * Umbilicaria meizospora (Harm.) E.A.Davydov & D.Masson (2022) – Europe
 * Umbilicaria muhlenbergii (Ach.) Tuck. (1845)
 * Umbilicaria multistrata McCune (2018) – North America
 * Umbilicaria murihikuana D.J.Galloway & Sancho (2005)
 * Umbilicaria nodulospora McCune, Di Meglio & M.J.Curtis (2014)
 * Umbilicaria nylanderiana (Zahlbr.) H.Magn. (1937)
 * Umbilicaria orientalis Davydov (2020) – East Asia
 * Umbilicaria phaea Tuck. (1869)
 * Umbilicaria polyphylla (L.) Baumg. (1790)
 * Umbilicaria polyrrhiza (L.) Fr. (1825)
 * Umbilicaria proboscidea (L.) Schrad. (1794)
 * Umbilicaria propagulifera (Vain.) Lano (1950)
 * Umbilicaria pulvinaria (Savicz) Frey (1931)
 * Umbilicaria rhizinata (Frey & Poelt) Krzew. (2010)
 * Umbilicaria rigida (Du Rietz) Frey (1931)
 * Umbilicaria robusta (Llano) D.J.Galloway & Sancho (2005)
 * Umbilicaria sinorientalis (J.C.Wei) Davydov, Peršoh & Rambold (2018)
 * Umbilicaria spodochroa Ehrh. ex Hoffm. (1796)
 * Umbilicaria subglabra (Nyl.) Harm. (1910)
 * Umbilicaria torrefacta (Lightf.) Schrad. (1794)
 * Umbilicaria vellea (L.) Ach. (1794)
 * Umbilicaria virginis Schaer. (1842)
 * Umbilicaria xizangensis (J.C.Wei & Y.M.Jiang) Davydov, Peršoh & Rambold (2018)