About Pectenia plumbea (Lightf.) P.M.Jørg., L.Lindblom, Wedin & S.Ekman
Pectenia plumbea, previously classified as Degelia plumbea and commonly known as blue felt lichen, is a foliose lichen species that ranges in colour from grey to blue-black or brown. It primarily grows on trees in undisturbed woodlands, and occasionally grows on coastal rocks. This lichen has a wide distribution across Britain, western Ireland, the United States, and Canada, and grows in maritime Atlantic climates. D. plumbea is highly sensitive to acid rain and climate change. It, along with many other lichens, is also highly sensitive to high light, and has a high water-holding capacity. The growth and survival of its fungal component are affected by additional factors including dispersal method and access to a suitable substrate. Its genes do not share a common ancestral gene retained through speciation, a pattern potentially linked to historical environmental changes. Degelia cyanoloma was previously considered a variant of this species. In 2022, the Canadian province of Nova Scotia formally designated blue felt lichen as its provincial lichen, making Nova Scotia the first province in Canada to have an official provincial lichen.
