Lecanora on a pear twig, Warwickshire

I’m not sure that your Lecanora with a ‘porridge-like thallus’ is sufficiently distinctive to call it L. sinuosa. On the very rare occasions that I have recorded L. sinuosa, it has seemed particularly distinctive. In the photo below is what I recorded as L. sinuosa (with L. hybocarpa to its right).

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We are given a bit of guidance in LGBI3 but I think many recorders will remain unsure which specimens to record as L. sinuosa.

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I often wish we had a checklist for each taxon, a list of the characters which we need to observe in order to justify naming a specimen as that taxon. In practise, we have to read the descriptions and make a judgement (leading to inconsistent recording because some lichenologists are more rigorous, and different lichenologists will place different weights on the various characters).

I think my approach with your specimen would to be file it as a funny form of L. hybocarpa, possibly L. sinuosa but not recorded as the latter. I would be happy if others think I am being too dismissive of your suggestion and are prepared to confirm it as L. sinuosa.

I agree it is not quite classic Lecanora sinuosa, but I strongly suspect that Lecanora sinuosa will go the way of Lecanora rugosella and prove to be just a morph of Lecanora hybocarpa. If so, it would not surprising there is no sharpline deliminating the taxa. However, it is worth recording well developed material untill this is proven. A couple of Lecanora sinuosa photos:

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Lecanora sinuosa, on Beeech, Long Beech, New Forest

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On stunted Oak, on shingle beech Browndown, Gosport

Neil