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Umbilicaria

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Umbilicaria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Umbilicariaceae, established by Georg Franz Hoffmann in 1789. Its members are foliose, leaf-like lichens that grow on rock and are attached to the surface at a single central point — the umbilicus — giving them their characteristic navel-like form. Species occur on every continent and are especially associated with exposed siliceous rock in cold climates, including alpine, arctic, boreal, and Antarctic environments. The genus is commonly known as rock tripe, a name that reflects a long history of use as an emergency food source in northern regions.