##LichensGBI
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craigpnature.bsky.social
I lead a lichen walk for local nature group this morning. I found Pannaria rubiginosa when I was doing my preparatory stroll around the route. First VC76 record since 1837.
#lichensgbi
A grey squamulose lichen with buff apothecia growing on a mossy tree.
June 20, 2026 at 1:11 PM
craigpnature.bsky.social
First day out properly looking at lichens this year. Went to a nearby old quarry with lots of mossy trees and rock. Multiple layers to cope with cold but sun shone all day so lovely to be out.
Details in alt text.
#lichensgbi
Normandina pulchella on a mossy tree trunk. Maybe “toe of boot” should be the appropriate scale measure for Porpidia macrocarpa apothecia. Protopannaria pezizoides Coenogonium luteum.
January 7, 2025 at 3:46 PM
chriscant.bsky.social
Sorting out Pannaria, Parmeliella and Fuscopannaria is tricky. None have the striations or scalloping of Pectenia. Pannaria rubiginosa usually has fruit. Pannaria conoplea has isidia instead of fruit. Parmeliella parvula is very small. And a first for us we think is Parmeliella testacea. #LichensGBI
Pannaria rubiginosa: small squamules, no striations or scalloping on upper surface, usually has fruit Pannaria conoplea: small squamules, no scalloping or striations, usually isidiate Parmeliella parvula: tiny squamules and what are described as pale blue-grey soralia but looks green to us We think this is Parmeliella testacea (with Normandina pulchella) with squamules at the edge looking a tan colour - much more crowded with soralia in the centre. Hypothallus visible as black between the squamules.
February 23, 2025 at 10:57 PM
craigpnature.bsky.social
Today’s outing for the Strathclyde local group of the BLS was to a rather dreich Ardmore point near Cardross on the north side of the Firth of Clyde. A wee bit wet and the midges were out in force but some nice lichens and afterwards rhubarb tart and coffee at the nearby garden centre. #lichensgbi
The rocky shoreline and a view down the Firth of Clyde. Low cloud and rain on the horizon. Ramalina cuspidata. A branchy fruticose lichen that grows on sea shore rocks. Very wet Anaptychia runcinata with apothecia. A foliose lichen that grows on shore rocks. Parmelia ernstiae. This is a foliose lichen growing on trees. Distinguished mainly by lobular growths in the centre of the thallus.
June 30, 2026 at 5:49 PM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
Fertile Cladonia caespiticia, with its characteristic swollen brown apothecia on tiny podetia, on Ardingly Sandstone in the Rock Walk/Francis Rose Reserve in @rbgkew.bsky.social Wakehurst West Sussex. Very common infertile on trees in the Low and High Weald; rarely see it fertile. #LichensGBI
April 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM
petravergunst.bsky.social
The rock marking the boundary of the #Cairngorms close to Dinnet sums up the geological and lichen story of upper Deeside pretty well as it contain indicators of upland conditions, acidic and metal-rich rock, and nutrient-rich conditions. #scottishlichens #lichensGBI #lichens #biodiversity #geology
Said boundary stone. Xanthoparmelia mougeotii with large soralia on the thallus. This is a species that prefers acidic rock (granite) in upland conditions, This rock contains quartz, a type of rock that is too hard to host many lichen species. Typical of Acarospora smaragdula is that its squamules often are slotted in lines and here it seems to follow a natural crack in the rock. The yellow apothecia will be of Caloplaca holocarpa, a species that likes more basic conditions and is often found on buildings. Again Caloplaca holocara, but this time with the yellow Xanthoria parietina alongside it. Both are indicators of nutrient-rich conditions. It is rather confusing to find them on upland rock. Could it be the influence of the adjacent road?
January 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
I like to look for lichens in pretty places - woods, lowland heaths, etc. - but if we want to understand the ecology of lichens we also need to look elsewhere. Candelariella aurella & Lecidella stigmatea on aluminium foot bridge; Physcia caesia & P. tenella on plastic rubbish bin. #LichensGBI
March 18, 2025 at 8:02 AM
craigpnature.bsky.social
Bryoria fuscescens was a very pleasant surprise when I was recording in a monad a couple of miles from our house.
#lichensgbi
A hair like lichen growing on the frank of a pine tree. A tuft of a hair like lichen growing on the bark of a pine tree.
April 10, 2025 at 3:32 PM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
Good to see Cresponea premnea, a member of the Southern Oceanic Woodland Index & the Ancient Dry Bark Community (Lecanactidetum premneaeon) on an ancient Q robur in St Leonard's Forest near Horsham. C. premnea needs 300 years to colonise woodlands. International Responsibility species. #LichensGBI
April 8, 2025 at 6:50 PM
craigpnature.bsky.social
Strathclyde Lichen Group went for a wander along a short section of the West Highland Way today. Weather was nicer than the forecast and we saw some nice lichens. #lichensgbi
Some lichenologists examining boulders in an upland heath. Parmotrema crinitum. A grey foliose lichen found of old trees. Identifiable by the bristly ciliate isidia. Sometimes given the nickname “Desperate Dan” after the children’s comic character. Sticta limbata - a green brown foliose lichen that is normally found on treees in temperate rainforests. Beaomyces rufus. A green cranial crustose lichen that grows on rocks. Its reproductive structures are peg like spore bearing bodies (apothecia).
July 30, 2026 at 4:51 PM
sueinscotland.bsky.social
Little yellow lichens seem to be on topic at the moment, so here is Polycauliona ucrainica, found on the same branch as P. polycarpa in my previous post. In my garden, on a bird cherry branch. Some care needed to separate it from P. candelaria. @geoffrey311.bsky.social #lichensGBI 1/3
A branch with a ruler for scale. 2 small yellow frilly lichen thalli with a propelling pencil lead of 0.5 mm for scale Close up of lobes with measurements of 0.2-0.3mm across. No rhizines seen and there are round blobs on edges of lobes
March 3, 2025 at 8:52 AM
sylviad.bsky.social
On a 250 year old gravestone in Sussex - Cladonia coniocrea - perfectly capturing a mood #lichensGBI
Close-up of the lichen Cladonia coniocrea. This photo shows the lichen's podetia, its spore-forming structures, that are a few cm high with pointy ends. Strung between them is the remains of a spider web. They are growing on a 250 year old sandstone gravestone in mid Sussex. To the left is a moss and to the top right is the light-green foliose lichen Flavoparmelia caperata.
July 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
Inoderma subabietinum. At the base of an old Oak, Quercus robur, by the harbourside at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex. K+ lemon-yellow; UV+ bluish white. #LichensGBI Notable, International Responsibility specie. @britishlichensociety.org.uk
April 1, 2025 at 5:03 PM
sueinscotland.bsky.social
#LichensGBI Another little brown bushy lichen, mainly found in Northern Scotland, Cornicularia normoerica. Unmistakeable once you have seen it, and no microscopy needed. It's the only species in Cornicularia. (Who were Norman and Eric??) 1/2
Old dry stone wall, adjacent to moorland used for grazing, exposed West facing. Rocks are siliceous (acid) Pictures of brown lichens, one is Umbilicaria polyphylla, and the other is Cornicularia normoerica. Thallus fruticose 1cm high 2-3 cm across feels stiff and bristly dark chestnut colour shiny Close up pictures of thallus and apothecia. Apothecia a few mm across. Brown, shiny. Margin same colour as thallus and growing projections Picture of apothecium. Under microscope – 3mm across. Less mature margin? Branches with bumps
February 8, 2025 at 11:33 AM
chriscant.bsky.social
More lichens from Ben Alligin: Cetrariella commixta, Allantoparmelia alpicola and Cornicularia normoerica. 4/n #LichensGBI
Cetrariella commixta Cetrariella commixta: close up Allantoparmelia alpicola Cornicularia normoerica
May 11, 2025 at 9:26 PM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
St. Margaret's Rottingdean. With chest tombs U don't need to bend down to ID! Bagliettoa calciseda, Circinaria calcarea, Variospora flavescens, Lecidella stigmatea, Kuettlingeria teicholyta, Gyalolechia flavovirescens, Catillaria lenticularis, Verrucaria nigrescens, Variospora flavescens #LichensGBI
June 27, 2025 at 12:31 AM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
1/2 An outstanding Quercus robur for epiphytes in a West Sussex ancient Ghyll Woodland SSSI. Lichens: Pachyphiale carneola (Raspberry Winegums) & Thelotrema lepadinum (Bark Barnacles) (ancient woodland indicators); and Normandina pulchella (Elf Ear) #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
March 24, 2025 at 10:33 PM
sueinscotland.bsky.social
The Dobson Field Keys are now available as FREE downloads from the #BritishLichenSociety web page. There are 3 to download along with update files with the new names and some comments. Go to “The Society” tab and pick BLS Shop. Photos not there yet but plans afoot to sort that. #lichensGBI
Cover of Field Key to Lichens on Trees by Frank Dobson. Available from https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/resources/publications/field-guide-lichens-trees Cover of Field Key to Coastal and Seashore Lichens by Frank Dobson. Available from https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/resources/publications/field-key-coastal-and-seashore-lichens Cover of Field Key to Common Churchyard Lichens by Frank Dobson. Available from https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/resources/publications/field-key-common-churchyard-lichens
March 11, 2025 at 10:17 AM
sueinscotland.bsky.social
#lichensGBI Time for a lichen post after a Christmas/New Year break. This one is a local speciality of the Cairngorms, in Scotland, and is a favourite of mine, Cetraria sepincola. No need to go high to find it, as it is in my village (250m above sea level). And no microscopy needed for ID! 1/2
Map of Scotland with red cross on location of Newtonmore which is in Cairngorm National Park Arial view of Area around Newtonmore showing houses and fields and red circles in 3 places showing where lichen Cetraria sepincola has been found Picture of birch tree. Text says: Habitat – well lit birch tree, in woodland. Actually a wasteland area between two housing estates, on a SE slope. Microhabitat – on very thin brittle twigs of birch Distribution map for Cetraria sepincola showing most of it in Cairngorm area. Map from British Lichen Society.
January 28, 2025 at 11:32 AM
sueinscotland.bsky.social
We recently removed some of an old (pine) fence and as well as gaining some firewood, I acquired plenty of lichen samples to play with. So far, I have identified 2 of the crustose ones. First up is Hypocenomyce scalaris. No apothecia on my sample but unmistakeable C+red reaction #lichensGBI 1/2
An old wooden fence in the process of being reduced 5 pieces of wood with crustose lichens growing on them. Don't you just love it when you can take the piece of wood instead of having to try and cut a sample off! A light brown crustose lichen with a 10 cm ruler in the photo for scale. The thallus is about 20cm by 5cm in size A close up of the thallus showing several squamules (small scales) with white powdery edges, which are soredia. The red scale bar is 1mm. Larger squamules about 1.5mm but many much smaller.
June 25, 2025 at 2:28 PM
craigpnature.bsky.social
Paisley Natural History Society lichen walk around part of Gleniffer Braes Country Park was held this morning.
The group saw common crustose lichens on concrete and rocks, epiphytic foliose species and, of course, everyone’s favourite Cladonias and Peltigeras. #lichensgbi
The group waiting their turn to have a poke and a look at some Jelly lichens growing in cracks in the mortar in the wall. Studying bryophytic lichens Normandina pulchella and Coenogonium luteum on a tree trunk. The latter is being compared to the photo of the front of “Dobson”. The crouching over a rock covered in Cladonia species. These are always popular. A rock covered in Cladonia species of lichen.
January 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
sueinscotland.bsky.social
@peterbraubach.bsky.social have been following similar lichen trajectories: Polycauliona polycarpa in this thread and some perithecia investigations which I'll post later. I had ignored tiny yellow thalli assuming they were Xanthoria parietina .. but I was wrong. A detailed thread. #lichensGBI 1/3
A picture of two twigs with yellow lichen on and a comparison table of 3 different yellow lichens: Xanthoria parietina (the largest),Polycauliona polycarpa (medium size), Polycauliona candelaria s.l. (the smallest) 2 pictures of Polycauliona polycarpa on twigs. The left hand one is greener showing incipient apothecia and orange pycnidia. The right hand one is yellower showing more apothecia (surrounding lichen is Physcia aipolia) Apothecia on a yellow lichen, yellow discs and grey green thick margins
March 2, 2025 at 10:32 AM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
The "jelly" lichen Blennothallia crispa, previously Collema crispa, mixed with mosses, on the concrete surrounds of a lock on the Wey-Arun canal, Loxwood, West Sussex. It's the cyanobacterial photobiont, a Nostoc sp., which gives it the jelly feel #LichensGBI
March 24, 2025 at 12:29 AM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
Parmotrema crinitum; the Desperate Dan lichen. Distinguished from other Parmotrema species by the ciliate isidia; looking like Desperate Dan's beard hairs. On Quercus petraea. Nettlecombe Park. Pointed by Nicola Bacciu on a @britishlichensociety.org.uk LEAF course. Fabulous course. #LichensGBI
June 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
sim-elliott.bsky.social
These guys have had a stable substrate for a long time. Stoppham Bridge, W. Sussex, dates from 1422-3. It's made of silicious ironstone. It has many lichens. The most frequent are Acarospora fuscata, Lecidea grisella, Tephromela atra & Ochrolechia parella. @britishlichensociety.org.uk ##LichensGBI
March 22, 2025 at 6:52 PM