Umbilicaria mammulata (Smooth Rock Tripe)

Umbilicaria mammulata

Umbilicaria mammulata (Ach.) Tuck.

Gyrophora dillenii (Tuck.) Müll. Arg.

Smooth Rock Tripe, Navel Lichen

Kingdom	Fungi	Mushrooms, lichens, gel fungi, yeasts, and molds; also called eukaryotes
Division	Ascomycota	Sac fungi
Subdivision	Pezizomycotina	Sac fungi with filaments
Class	Lecanoromycetes	“Lichenized” fungi
Family	Umbilicariaceae	The rock tripes, a family of Asco-lichenes in the order Lecanorales having a large, circular, umbilicate thallus
Genus	Umbilicaria	After “umbilicate,” or having a central depression, like a navel
Species	mammulata

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 25 May 2020.

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

11/8/2009 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

7/3/2012 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook 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 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

7/3/2012 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 6 × 6" (15 × 14 cm)

11/8/2009 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook 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 Land, Groton Harvard Road, 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 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, MA
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)