Umbilicaria mammulata

Umbilicaria mammulata (Ach.) Tuck.

Gyrophora dillenii (Tuck.) Müll. Arg.

Smooth Rock Tripe, Navel Lichen

About plant names...

Smooth rock tripe forms large sheets (rarely, up to 24" (60 cm) across), like aged curling leather sheets, on cliffs and boulders.

Identification: The sheets are attached at only a single point (hence the genus Umbilicaria). They are reddish- or grayish-brown on top, and velvety black below. The top surface appears greenish when wet. The large size and coloration are unlike other lichens.

Edibility: An hour of boiling is said to convert this leather-like lichen into an edible source of protein, palatable by itself or when added to soup or stews. Soak for 2-3 hours first to remove acids that, while not dangerous, may send you running to the bathroom in a hurry. Even after all this soaking and boiling, you’d better be good and hungry—many say it still tastes like shoe leather.

Online References:

Umbilicaria mammulata on the Mushroom Observer

Umbilicaria mammulata on Stephen Sharnoff Photography

Umbilicaria mammulata on Discover Life

Umbilicaria mammulata on gigapan.com

References:

Peterson, Lee Allen, Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern/Central North America, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977, p. 236

Walewski, Joe, Lichens of the North Woods, Kollath+Stensaas Publishing, 2007, p. 77

Umbilicaria mammulata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 12 Oct 2018.

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9/26/2010 · Doane’s Falls, Royalston, MA
≈ 4½ × 3½" (12 × 8.7 cm) ID is uncertain

11/8/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

7/3/2012 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 3½ × 2½' (1.2 × 0.8 m)

5/25/2016 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, NH

11/8/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

7/3/2012 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 6 × 6" (15 × 14 cm)

11/8/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm)

9/20/2018 · Porcupine Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, NH
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

4/21/2013 · Crow Hill Trail, Leominster State Forest, Leominster, MA
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm)

9/26/2010 · Doane’s Falls, Royalston, MA
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm) ID is uncertain

9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust, Ayer, MA
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm) ID is uncertain

2/19/2012 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)

4/21/2013 · Crow Hill Trail, Leominster State Forest, Leominster, MA
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

2/19/2012 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)

5/25/2016 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, NH

11/8/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)