[John Norton]

Hi Neil

I photographed this years ago (3/4/2011 to be precise) on an Aspen in Browndown Fen, Gosport (images are not very sharp). Is it a candidate for L. pseudargentata? If so, I could go back to get better photos and a small specimen to send you. I remember at the time it matched something labelled as L. hybocarpa on the internet, but I think you said it was a ‘maybe’ based on what your idea of that was at the time.

John Norton

[John Norton]

Jenny, I don’t think it is Lecanora sinuosa. Photo below is of a thallus spotted by Mark on a visit to Gosport several years ago, on oak. It is characteristically densely covered by apothecial initials with scattered large apothecia with strongly convolute/sinuose margins.

John Norton

[attachment=0]M24331 Lecanora sinuosa on oak Browndown Ranges 13mar2017.jpg[/attachment]

[John Norton]

Jenny,

No idea about your first one but I thought the little black tufts on C. foliacea were just rhizines. They seem to arise on the margins of the basal squamules.

John Norton

[John Norton]

Ramalina fastigiata seems to vary a lot in its morphology. When I was looking at it regularly several years ago I frequently came across a strange growth form with spiky projections at the ends of the lobes and often poorly developed apothecia, as in your image – it can masquerade as various other species. Here is a shot which seems to show the typical form (above) and the ‘spiky’ form (below), I think on the trunk of a Sorbus tree (so not a typical situation, which may have something to do with the growth form).

[attachment=0]Ramalina fastigiata DRA6080.jpg[/attachment]

John Norton, Gosport, Hampshire

[John Norton]

Many thanks for the helpful comments. I’ll look into L. fructigena and have another look at my specimen. Yes, not sure why I didn’t dismiss the black substance as a cyanobacterial crust when I first looked at it. I’m sure that’s what it must be.

John

[John Norton]

This is the material Neil is referring to. The Lecanora looks remarkably similar to yours. It was on an old fence post (which was rock hard), by a coastal creek in Gosport, under light shade.

[attachment=0]Lecanora with Unguiculariopsis lesdainii DRA4140.jpg[/attachment] (image thanks to Debbie Allan)

John Norton

[John Norton]

Neil

Thanks for having a look. I think we probably discounted S. subtile due to the description saying it occurs on fallen trees and plant debris, whilst this was clearly on bare soil, though could have overgrown mosses or moss protonema (see photo of specimen below). Also, I don’t think it can be S. subtile because the apothecial discs weren’t orange (they were dark blackish brown, concolorous with the margins). Therefore maybe it will need to remain a mystery for the time being? There are some useful images of S. subtile on the internet, including http://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_S/Text_S2/Scytinium_subtile.htm” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_S/Text_S2/Scytinium_subtile.htm.

[John Norton]

Neil and Mark

Many thanks. I am reasonably convinced now that my specimen is C. concolor, but I’ll have another detailed look tomorrow and I’ll keep looking for C. pacifica!

[John Norton]

Thanks Neil,

Yes, it could well be S. tenuissimum, but doesn’t quite agree with the description of ‘thallus lobes deeply incised or crenate with clustered coralloid outgrowths’. This is the best I could do with a section (wouldn’t lay side-on):

[attachment=0]Scytinium thallus section Ewer Common 06feb2021-0021.jpg[/attachment]

I can now see that the dark green cells (Nostoc) are sometimes in small chains. Can’t really make out the hyphae. I’ll put it in another pile to send you. I’ve been out today and collected a load more to look at!

[John Norton]

Hi Mark

Thanks very much for your useful comments. I’m certainly inclined to agree with you about it being V. viridula. As it happens I had recently looked at what I believe is that species on the brick wall where I found Vezdaea leprosa (see pics below). That material by contrast had only a poorly developed thallus and almost fully exposed perithecia, making them look quite large, but I think the perithecia were similarly about 0.4mm across. They had a distinct ostiole and the elongated ostiolar region which you describe (which LGBI calls a ‘projection’) and there is certainly a similarity to my mystery specimen. The spores were also of the ‘correct’ size. Although I looked at at several perithecia on the mystery specimen and they all had small spores, I think you may be right that they were mostly immature, but maybe the different substrate and conditions, including a slight saline influence, could have had an effect? I’m hoping I’ll have time to look at more coastal crustose lichens around here – they have been neglected in the past and I think there could be some interesting species waiting to be found.

[attachment=1]M69518 Verrucaria viridula.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]Verrucaria viridula Forton 27dec2020-0002(2).jpg[/attachment]

[John Norton]

Thanks Neil (sorry missed this reply until now). It turns out that above the wall where it occurs is some painted metal sheeting (probably zinc plated), which is directing rainwater down onto the wall, so this explains the presence of a metal-tolerant species. Possibly some other interesting species there too.

[attachment=0]R6146 Morelands Road lichen site brick wall metal sheeting.jpg[/attachment]

[John Norton]

Neil

As you know, in the past I’ve sent you some specimens and photographs of Lecanora chlarotera types, which understandably you were very non-commital about, so it is really good that you are finally managing to make sense of some of them!

This was on Aspen in Browndown Fen, Gosport, in 2011 which I always thought looked good for L. hybocarpa, but it is not in strong light. The mixture of cloudy and non-cloudy discs is interesting. I should have a specimen somewhere.

[attachment=3]H4979 Lecanora hybocarpa.jpg[/attachment]

These two were from sunlit Ash or Sorbus in one of the parks in Gosport (from 2008 and 2011) – but I think they are particularly good examples of L. sinuosa.

[attachment=2]C_8300 Lecanora sinuosaQ Gosport Park 2008.JPG[/attachment]

[attachment=1]H4400 Lecanora sinuosa Gosport Park 2011.jpg[/attachment]

However, this last one I thought might be L. intumescens and does match your photos (growing side by side with L. chlarotera?).

[attachment=0]M34158 Lecanora black discs 2018.jpg[/attachment]

[John Norton]

Thanks everyone. I wasn’t really familiar with Vezdaea species. Neil – you should get the specimen today or tomorrow and hopefully can confirm when you get a chance to have a look.

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