Waynea

Waynea is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Ramalinaceae. The genus was established in 1990 by the Swedish lichenologist Roland Moberg and named after the Wayne family who helped organize his collecting trip to California, where he collected the type species. The tiny lichens in Waynea form patches made up of scale-like lobes less than half a millimetre across, with powdery cushions that help them spread without sexual reproduction. The genus contains six species. Most records are from southern and western Europe, particularly around the Mediterranean region, but it has also been reported from Russia (including Siberia) and western North America. Species of Waynea are corticolous, growing on the bark of trees and other woody plants (often oaks) in small patches that can coalesce into mats only a few millimetres wide.