Lichen Biotic Inventory of Turnipseed Preserve, North Carolina, USA

Abstract. Turnipseed Preserve in eastern Wake County, North Carolina was surveyed of its lichen diversity in 2009–2011. Specimens were collected from a variety of forest and rock outcrop habitats in this Outer Piedmont / Fall Line transitional zone. From 477 collections, 165 determined species representing 77 genera of lichens, including one lichenicolous fungus and one allied fungus, are reported as a checklist. Thirteen new state records were found, including: 1) three recently-described species: Acarospora janae, Lecanora appalachensis and L. nothocaesiella, and 2) Lichenotheliaceae, a family newly reported for North Carolina represented by the lichenicolous fungus Lichenostigma cosmopolites and the “border-line lichen” Lichenothelia sp. Turnipseed's lichen biota was compared to those of other surveyed areas in North Carolina and South Carolina via Jaccard analysis, detecting a distance decay of similarity. Suggestions for further research are offered.