Iceland moss

About

Iceland moss is actually not a moss, but a lichen, which is a symbiosis of a fungus and an alga. It is an arctic-alpine species, so in Ukraine, it is most abundant in the high mountains of the Carpathians: among grasses and shrubs on the ridges of Chornohora, in the Hutsul Alps, Gorgany, and on the Borzhava polonynas.

The thallus appears as small upright bushes up to 10–15 cm tall, composed of flat, channelled lobes 0.5–4 cm wide. The color varies from whitish and greenish-brown to dark brown, with the underside of the lobes being lighter or reddish. Small hairs sit along the edges of the lobes. The thallus turns yellow with a drop of alkali — this is how lichenologists confirm the species.

The lichen contains up to 70% lichenin, 'lichen starch', and bitter cetraric acid. The lichen is edible: it was soaked or boiled to reduce bitterness and added as a thickener to milk or porridge, and also dried for storage and brewed as an herbal remedy.

Due to intensive harvesting, the areas of Cetraria in the Carpathians are decreasing. In the 2020s, conservationists reported a sharp increase in the commercial harvesting of Iceland moss in the Ukrainian Carpathians after access to the high mountains became easier. This lichen is included in the plant communities of the Green Book of Ukraine, so industrial harvesting is only possible with permission, and it is prohibited to collect it in reserves and national parks. On the trail, simply admire the Cetraria and do not pick it.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Slovakia · Romania · Ukraine · Poland

Mountain ranges

High Tatras, Gorgany, Western Tatras, Retezat Mountains, Svydovets, Low Tatras, Bihor-Vlădeasa Mountains, Chornohora, Bucegi Mountains, Făgăraș Mountains

Altitude belts

Conifer forests (1200–1600 m) · Subalpine belt (1600–1900 m) · Alpine belt (above 1900 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

In folk tradition

The lichen was traditionally soaked or boiled to reduce bitterness and added as a thickener to milk and porridge, and also brewed as an herbal remedy.

Protection and rules

Not listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, but communities with Iceland moss are in the Green Book of Ukraine: industrial harvesting is only with permission, and it is prohibited to collect it in reserves and national parks.

FAQ