Elegant Sunburst

''Xanthoria elegans'', commonly known as the elegant sunburst lichen, is a lichenized species of fungus in the genus ''Xanthoria'', family Teloschistaceae. Recognized by its bright orange or red pigmentation, this species grows on rocks, often near bird or rodent perches. It has a circumpolar and alpine distribution. It was one of the first lichens to be used for the rock-face dating method known as lichenometry.