Unknown tropical lichen from the cloud forest of the Intag valley, approximately 2200 meters above sea level. It was growing on a Cecropia trunk near a waterfall. I'm new at lichens, so I really have no clue. Pictures are front and reverse. Thanks, oh ye lichen experts!
If I found that here, in PNW-NA, I'd say Oh it looks like a Peltigera, with attractive brown fruiting bodies. Then I'd walk away quickly before anyone asked me anything else about it... :-) I don't know any of the tropical species, but will ask a lichenological friend if he would weigh in on this. I betcha a coming question would be about whether you saw any rhizines, threads, coming out of the bottom, and if so what colour and whether they forked or not.
Again, although I don't know tropical lichens, so this is a guess: Psoroma euphyllum (aka Pannaria euphylla) certainly looks/sounds like a possiblility. The written description & a photo is here. http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/lichenlist/FLORA 54/Pannar_euphyll.html One character I see does not quite match is it does not mention darker patches on lower surface...but maybe those are bits of the substrate still attached? Still the genus might be right or related.
The dark patches appeared to be part of the lichen; when I tried separating them from the rest of the body, they wouldn't peel the way I'd expect a substrate to come off.... Psoroma euphyllum looks promising, though. Thanks!
