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SW Ireland another possible L. pseudargentata?

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  • February 21, 2026 at 1:29 pm #33147
    JennyS

      Last night I came across some more possible Lecanora pseudargentata, another specimen from SW Ireland but on a branch rather than a twig and from the edge of a garden surrounded by cattle-grazed fields. From other species recorded there nitrogen levels are propably fairly low. (Same location as photos previously shown on website L. chlarotera. s.str. page)

      Dark red-brown apothecia, the thallus appearing UV pale mauve to my eyes but photographing pale greyish-blue, margins creamy-brownish and the discs UV+ dark-bluish-grey with a paler bluish-grey pruina.

      Two sections from each of two apothecia were examined in water under polarised light – but with variable results. Crystals were present in the margins but the granules in the epithecium seemed very variable, from absent/barely discernable in one section to present but still rather faint, though confirmed under x400 magnification.

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      February 22, 2026 at 11:50 am #46868
      Neil Sanderson
      Senior Moderator

        Jenny

        Yes that looks fine. The descriptions say the crystals can be quite thin, which I have also found. Could you send me location details of this and the first one (the name the first packet gave me an interesting deep dive in to how many townlands have the same name in the same county, let alone in the whole of Ireland) and I will do a New Rare & Interesting entry for Ireland.

        In the field with the UV the main thing to seems to see a speckled effect that is distinctly blue, there can be dull even reflectance from the other species when wet (and boy is it wet now). With big populations (in some New Forest sites on the edges of glades with mires it can dominate twigs along with oddities such as Phaeographis lyellii and Pertusaria pustulata) you will find poor worn material with paler disks and little UV. These still have dark chestnut brown epithecia and spores shorter than 12.5 µm. Good Lecanora chlarotera s. str. looks similar but does have a paler brown epithecium and spores longer than 12.5 µm. So in the field one needs to find good material to be sure without collecting.

        Neil

        February 22, 2026 at 12:48 pm #46869
        JennyS

          Thanks Neil – those sparse granules in the epithecium were confusing me!

          The location for the specimen I sent you was

          R619 – Tullig, W479774, mid Cork vc H4. On a twig from a roadside Ash, collected 2012-04-19.

          Other species from there included Acrocordia gemmata, Arthonia cinnabarina, Enterographa crassa, Lecania naegelii, Lecanora carpinea, Parmelina pastillifera, Phaeographis smithii, Pyrenula chlorospila and macrocarpa and Rinodina sophodes. There was a small amount of Xanthoria parietina but no Physcia.

          The one shown here was from Bantry – Dromore, W051463, West Cork vc H3, collected 2025-06-26.

          It was on a branch rather than a twig, and probably from my daughters woodpile so either hazel, ash or possibly oak.

          Species recorded there https://www.irishlichens.ie/habitat-dromore.html” class=”bbcode_url”>https://www.irishlichens.ie/habitat-dromore.html but only a very small amount of Xanthoria and Physcia

          February 22, 2026 at 4:48 pm #46870
          Neil Sanderson
          Senior Moderator

            Jenny

            Thanks I will write another NRI entry. I had worked out the only Tullig in W47 was Tullig More, but it was a revelation how many other townships called Tullig there were in Co Cork alone! At the AGM Janet mentioned, that as she was inputting lots of Irish records, that she could do with some help on Irish place names, I can see where she was coming from now. I guess if you have the barony name as well, then township becomes more locatable.

            Neil

            February 22, 2026 at 6:01 pm #46871
            JennyS

              Yes, utter nightmare – but my apologies to both you and Janet as this is my fault for not double-checking and correcting the townland name I’d noted down when recording and, as you realised, this Tullig More is in the Barony of East Muskerry.

              And for the photographs in this thread:

              Quote:

              Dromore, located near Bantry in County Cork, is in the

              Barony of West Carbery (West Division). It is specifically situated within the civil parish of Caheragh.

              I got thoroughly confused whether to name locations from my site grid references first by Electoral Division, Civil Parish or Barony and then townland that I’ve feeling in the end I sent her most of my Irish records by townland and then grid reference. I’ll email her and check her preferred format to avoid future headaches!

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